Kagome's Replacement?
by Shi No. Miko
Summary: Chapter 25 is up! Randomness, mainly me working on themes....--;
1. Random Well Events

KK, I'm back after a long dry winter.  And winter's not over yet!  *no one understand the joke* Okay. . .well, anyhow, this is my random ficcy.  Since I love Inuyasha so much, I decided to use my complete knowledge of the show to do something worthless that I should be shot for!  This is rated for pure language, so, deal with it!  And I'm not sure what I'm ever gonna do with this. . .so, stay tuned!  'Cuz I know where you live!

"Here."

"Thanks."  Inuyasha let Kagome off his back; still annoyed with the way she had "convinced" him to carry her.  His head still hurt from falling directly on that rock.  Kagome walked over, and removed a shoe, and dipped her foot in it.  "Inuyasha!  This is cold!"

"It gets warmer farther up the stream."

"Then why didn't you drop me off there?"

He sighed with annoyance.  "So you could walk a few feet on your own.  I can't remember unimportant details like this on command!"

She glowered at him.  "Well, find me a hot spring!"

"This _is_ a hot spring.  Just not _here-_here."

"Well, seems pretty cold for a hot spring to me."

Inuyasha practically threw his hands in the air with annoyance.  "You _asked_ me to bring you here!  So I did!  Stop yelling at me for it!  And I can only say 'go upstream' so many times before you have to be _stupid_ to not understand it!"

_Right,_ though Kagome.  _I wanted to get away from Sango and Miroku for a while.  I'm glad Shippo found that family of his.  He's adorable, but. . ._ She looked at the scowling half-demon, who was glaring at the stream, as if glaring at it hard enough would make it hotter.  _I wanted to talk to him about something._

"You're right.  Sorry for yelling."

"Keh."  Inuyasha didn't look at her, but prepared to return to Sango and Miroku.  He was tired of having to carry Kagome around.  And it was even worse she had to use the stupid "sit" command at every chance she got, like he was some mangy mutt or something. . .

"Inuyasha, don't go!"  Kagome cringed at the tone of her voice.  Even to her, it sounded rather pleading.  "Um. . .can you take me to the well for something?"

"What?"  He glared at her, crossing his arms.  "No.  You'll go back, and you _swore_ by your ancestors we'd go on a shard hunt before you left this time."

"Oh, come _on_, Inuyasha!  My ancestors aren't even _born_ yet.  I just wanna get some more. . .shampoo."

"You have plenty."

"A comb."

"You have at least two.  Remember, last week you were convinced you could make my hair 'pretty,'" he added finger quotes to mock her, "by spending an hour dragging that thing through my head as painfully as you could. . .?"

"You let me."

"Wha-what?!"  He sputtered with shock, staring at her with disbelief.  "I did _not_!  You sat me until I was too freaking tired to _move_ and then you seriously injured me!"

She sighed.  But even he had to admit, his hair had looked nicer.  Until Sango had accidentally speared a bee's nest with her boomerang and dropped all the honey on his head.  It was a miracle he hair didn't still smell like the sweet stuff.  "Well. . .I just need to go back."

"No."

"Sit."

Inuyasha dropped instantly, growling in fury at the girl, yet managing to keep it quiet enough for her to not hear.  The great weight pushing on his back hurt as much as usual, and the embarrassment was just as bad, with Kagome smirking over him.  When he finally stood back up, Kagome looked expectantly at him.  "Well?"

". . .Fine."

She smiled, and gave him a hug, to which he didn't react at all, just remaining stiff.  _What's her problem?  Did she think that I'd hug her back after she sat me?_

"Come on," he muttered gruffly.  "Let's get this _over_ with."  Kagome scrambled onto his back, where he stared at her with surprise.  "What are you doing?"

"It's faster this way."

"I don't want you there!"

She snorted.  "Do you want me to be able to get back quickly or not?"

Inuyasha growled at her, and then jumped off, back to meet Sango and Miroku, to alert them of their side trip.  They were all in Kaede's town, where they were awaiting rumors of the next shard.  Inuyasha was getting restless, and Miroku had been getting _daring_ with grabbing at Sango.  Kagome had recently, getting restless also, had begun to watch Inuyasha.

He was always either in the woods, running and practicing fighting, or sitting on roofs, seeming to sulk.  Kagome had realized how much she had come to like those golden eyes.  He had kind eyes, when he chose to.  Or when he went deep into thought.  Kagome had found herself in possible danger of falling in love with the half-demon.

So she had sought to bring him to the hot spring, where they wouldn't be bothered, and ask him questions, where the mists of the waters might make him a little disoriented, so he might answers questions without fully thinking about it.  However, he didn't seem to have any intention of coming anywhere near them with her, so she needed to change tactics.

She hoped if she could get Inuyasha to somehow come how with her, she could get him to sniff a few shampoos, if she asked him which one smelled best.  That would probably actually work better, but it was more obvious.  So she had tried the first option.

They arrived in town in time to see Sango stomp her boot square into Miroku's face.  She had a few slap marks on his face as well, and looked as if he was in extreme pain, yet satisfied at once.  They came into hearing range, and heard Sango's angry voice yelling at him.

". . .And if you ever do it again, you perverted priest, I'll jam that stupid stick of your so far up your ass you'll never be able to find it again!"  She continued on in this manner for another five minutes, causing even Inuyasha to smirk, obviously impressed by some of the curses she invented.  Finally, she stopped beating Miroku, and stood up.

She saw them, and walked over to them, managing to somehow smile.  ". . .Hi, guys.  Sorry to leave on such short notice."

"You're leaving?"  Kagome's distressed voice was another thing for Inuyasha to have to deal with.  Her being upset almost always ended with him ending up face-first on the ground.

Sango smiled sadly.  "I can't put up with that pervert another minute.  He needs to get another woman to latch onto."  She smiled again, and left them soon with those words.  When they looked back at Miroku, he had crawled away, and Inuyasha was too lazy to track him down.  When he pointed out it was no business of his, Kagome merely sighed, and let him drop her, and walk towards the well, just in case a demon decided to attack on the way.

When they entered the clearing, Inuyasha suddenly stiffened.  His ears stood perked, at alert, and he looked towards the well.  "Inuyasha?"

"Someone's there. . .a girl. . .'bout our age. . .she smells. . ." his nose wrinkled, although she couldn't quite tell why.  "Similar to you.  Not like you, but. . .there's something about it that reminds me of you."

"She's from my time?"

Inuyasha nodded, not paying her too much attention.  "I think she might just be. . ."

He grabbed her arm, and pulled her.  He wasn't sure why, but something drove him to want to see this girl.  No one was supposedly able to get through that well, other than Kagome and him.  Kagome was a miko, so that made sense, and his power made the well obey him.  So either this girl was another miko-hopefully not like Kagome-or something. . .else.

He found himself hoping it was another girl who could see the Shikon shards.  If Kagome had to go home. . .that'd be a blessing for him.  He was sick of her constant usage of the rosemary.  It was supposed to be a last-ditch attempt for her to save her life.  Not her way of making him do whatever she wanted him to do.

They got closer to the well, and saw. . .nothing.  Inuyasha's senses were screaming at him, telling him the girl was right in front of him, and he should be able to see her.  But she was nowhere to be seen.  He growled slightly.  "In the well. . .?"  He released Kagome's arm, and walked over to the well, and cautiously peeked in.

A dagger flew past his face, barely avoiding cutting off a part of his hair.  He jumped back, and cursed.  How had he let that happen?  Kagome was too surprised to do anything, but she would have been defenseless anyhow.

The dagger fell back down, and there was the noise metal on metal.  Inuyasha's ears jumped back on his head, and he unconsciously growled at the noise that was eating at his hearing.  He didn't want to check on the strange knife-totting girl, because he didn't need a dagger in the face. Suddenly, it stopped.  Then, a black shape jumped out quickly, far too quickly for Kagome to be able to follow.

However, for a half demon, it was an easy task.

The girl had tried to simply run off in a random direction, but Inuyasha was curious.  He had jumped on her back, flipped her over, and now had a clawed hand held to her neck, as he stared at her in the face.

She glared at him, no sign of true fear on her face.  Instead, it seemed she was angrier she hadn't dodged quickly enough.  Her eyes moved quickly, taking in the dog demon that was basically sitting on her.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw his fangs, claws, and ears.  Quietly, she muttered loudly enough for Kagome to head, "Well, Toto.  We're not in Kansas anymore."

~*~

Okay. . .so, love me, want to kill me?  Please review!  And I'll love you forever if you give me an e-mail.  Please?  ^_^


	2. Kagome Trips

Okay, it's a record!  Two updates in two days!  Never before done. . .anyhow, three reviews is a new record also for me, so I decided that it was a good idea to update before I lost anyone.  And if I get lucky, you might have part three up today too.  At the latest, tomorrow. . .but, R&R, and enjoy.  And I actually have an idea now. . .be afraid!

Kagome looked at her with a smirk.  No one could escape Inuyasha that easily.  What she stupid?  And she was obviously from her time, if she was muttering old movies under her breath.  "It's okay, Inuyasha.  I think she's harmless."

"Harmless?  You little bitch!"  A dagger was instantly whirling towards Kagome stopped only from a last minute hit from Inuyasha when it sped past his head.  The girl glared at the demon, calculating his reflex.  _Way too quick to be human._

"So. . .you're from my time?  The future?"

". . .If it's your time, it'd be the present.  And if you mean from _modern_ day Japan, then yes.  Only I'm American.  I just. . ."

"Hey!"  Kagome glared at the girl.  "That well is on my property only!  You shouldn't be anywhere near it!"

"Well, it was the strangest thing.  I was walking down the street, minding my own business, being sure to stay away from the mean old wells that were jumping up in my path and trying to force me to jump in them, when, suddenly, one appeared under my feet, and I just fell. . ." She shook her head, managing to look confused.  "Oddest thing."

Kagome snorted.  "Liar."

She mock-gasped.  "Oh, I'm so offended."  She snorted mockingly at Kagome.  "You'll have to do better, whore."

"Whore?!"

"I'm not wearing a too-short shirt, now, am I?"

"It's-it's a school uniform!"

"Then why are you wearing it outside of school?"

"Because I can!"

She sighed.  "Right."  She looked back at Inuyasha, who had been listening to this exchange with interest.  Kagome was usually hard to insult enough to get her to stammer.  "So. . .if I promise to not throw anymore daggers, can I have the honor of being able to stand?"

Inuyasha snorted, but stood up, releasing her.  She stood up, finally letting them examine her.  She didn't seem to mind; she was much to involved searching for the dagger that had landed somewhere near the well when Inuyasha had made her miss Kagome.

She was wearing all black.  That was what was really interesting.  She had a black tank top with thick straps, and black shorts.  She didn't have socks, but wore sneakers, which were tied loosely enough that she could slip them off, yet tightly enough for her be able to run with them and not have them fall off.  Of course, if you looked hard enough, you could see that there was actually a brown belt strapped tightly to her waist, here at least fourteen daggers hung, easily accessible by her.

The most interesting thing about her was the fact that her hair went all the way down to her knees.  It was braided, so it didn't get in the way, but it was definitely long.  Inuyasha actually wondered why anyone would keep his or her hair so long before he remembered his wasn't exactly short either.

He snorted to himself, and looked at Kagome.  Kagome was looked at him with. . .a random emotion in her eyes.  She had been doing it all week, and thinking he didn't notice.  What was he, a blind dog?  He sighed, and looked back at the girl.

Kagome sighed to herself, and returned her gaze to the strange teen.  ". . .So, what's your name?"

"Don't have one."

"What're you talking about, wench?"

"Don't call me that."  The girl glared at him, and then returned her search.  Inuyasha blinked in surprise.  He hadn't meant to call her that, but it had slipped out.  Not that he cared, but it didn't seem to be a good idea to make an enemy out of this girl. . .even if she was a human.

"Aha!"  She stood back up, and swiped the dagger clean of dirt, before slipping in back into her belt.  She looked back at the duo before her, the black-haired schoolgirl and the white-haired dog boy.  "So, what are your names?"

"My name is Kagome.  This is Inuyasha."

"Inu. . .yasha. . ." A smirk appeared on her face.  Inuyasha felt himself get a bit pissed at the girl, but ignored it.  "Inu. . .yasha?"  She laughed a little.  "You're yelling me that's your _name_?  Inuyasha?"  She started laughing.  Hard.

Inuyasha growled at her.  "Yes.  Do you have a problem with that?"

"_Yes_!"  She was practically is tears now, laughing so hard.  "That means _female_-dog!  Not even bitch, just dog in a feminine sense!  With demon tacked at the end!  Man, your parents must have _hated_ you!"

Inuyasha glared at her, and without any other warning, jumped at her, prepared to claw her veins out with her mere claws and use then as bowstrings in Kagome's next bow.  However, the girl was faster than he had given her credit for.

Right when his claws should have been ripping her frail body apart, and his momentum was too great to possibly be stopped, he saw she had ducked to the point he would miss her.  She grabbed his wrists as he went sailing overhead, and kicked at him at the same time, causing him to continue his path, directly into a tree she had been standing in front of.

He hit the tree about two feet over her head, and groaned.  To make it worse, Kagome's late reactions kicked in. . .late.  "Sit!"

He slammed into the ground, taking the girl out with him.  They _both_ groaned that time.  Kagome held a timid hand up to her mouth.  "Oh. . .sorry. . ."

Inuyasha could feel the girl shaking with anger as he sat still, trying to recollect his scattered wits.  One was bouncing away, over the forest, into the sky. . .he scowled.  _I have to stop hitting my head when I land like that. . ._

He noticed his soft cushion was gone.  He looked at Kagome, who was being quiet, and saw the girl sitting on her now, and slapping her face, just back and forth, back and forth. . .

It was humorous for a minute, but when her hand started getting red, Inuyasha walked over, and pulled Kagome out from under her.  He examined her, and sighed.  Quietly, he muttered, "Still alive. . .note to self; try harder next time. . ."

The girl laughed. She stood up, and looked at him.  Inuyasha realized with a start she was a full head shorter than him.  "Okay, enough screwing around. . ." she noticed at Inuyasha was smirking at her.  "Yes, I am short!  It's not my fault!"  He didn't stop smirking, to her annoyance.  "Huh.  Well, if you're so smart, what's this?"

She held up a necklace.  On the end of the necklace was the glittering part of the Shikon jewel.  Inuyasha instantly growled at her.  _Damn these people and their obsession with that stupid jewel!  It's _mine_!_  He grabbed at it, but she jerked it out of his reach.  She smirked.

"So, the glowing thing is important?"

Inuyasha paused for a second, surprised.  ". . .It's not glowing."

She frowned.  "Well, Toto, maybe since you're a dog, you've gone colorblind."

Inuyasha angrily bared his fangs at her.  She seemed surprised again, but otherwise completely failed to have a reaction.  "I am not a dog!"

"You have claws, fangs, and kawaii ears.  That spells out dog to me."

Inuyasha stopped again, and stared at her; unsure whether he should be annoyed over the fact she had called his ears cute.  "You. . .you think they're _cute_?!"

She nodded.  "Of course!  They're all white and triangular, and they sit up so funnily. . ." She smiled, which did cause him to be annoyed.  "Anyway, the busted glowing thingy is pretty.  You oughta get someone better than an annoying girl to hold it."  She tossed it at him, and he instinctively caught it.

". . .You really don't know what this is, do you?"

She shook her head.  "Like I said. . .it glows, it's shiny, but since it's broken, the pawn shop probably won't give much for it.  Got any whole jewels I can steal?"

Kagome sniffed, finally able to operate her face again, much to Inuyasha's dismay.  He had been fine with her unable to comment.  "Of course my Inuyasha's ears are cute!  He's adorable!"  Both the girl and Inuyasha stared at Kagome as if she had suddenly become Sesshoumaru wearing a pink tutu, and had begun to perform "Swan Lake."

A very disturbing thought.

Inuyasha's face seemed to have gone into a spasm, much like when Hiten had told him Kagome was his "precious woman."  "Your. . .your. . .I am _not_ yours!"  The girl started cracking up, practically rolling on the ground with mirth.  Inuyasha felt his face get red for some inexplicable reason.  "Kagome!  Where did you get that idea?!"

"Well, I have control of the rosemary.  That makes you mine."

"It does not!"

"Does too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Sit!"

Inuyasha fell down, causing the other girl to stop laughing.  She glared at Kagome, who glared right back at her.  _Let her see my power_.  She crawling over to Inuyasha, and tried to pull him up, only to discover that made him wince worst.

She stood up, and scowled at Kagome.  "Oh, I get it.  You're a whore with supernatural powers."

"Stop calling me that!"

"No!  What did he do to deserve you being in control of him?"  Inuyasha had stood up by now, a deep flush from anger on his face.

_Why does she do that?  Especially whenever someone else is around?_

"Every time you say 'sit,' he falls down, right?"  There was a startled almost yelp from Inuyasha.  They both turned around, and saw Inuyasha back on the ground, fighting the invisible weight on his back.  She stared at him, and then looked away, staring at a piece of grass.  "Whoops."

"How did you do that?"

She glanced at Kagome.  "I didn't mean to!  Honestly!  I didn't want to hurt him, I was just pointing out a point. . ." She nodded her head a bit, frowning sadly.  "Gomen, Shi. . ."

Kagome stared at her in surprise.  "Shi?  Death?"

She nodded.  "Yeah.  I don't believe in a merciful God, so instead I believe the Goddess of Death is looking out for me.  Shi doesn't like it when people get hurt for no reason."

"If she's death, why wouldn't she?  And why not the God of Death?"

"Death isn't two people, and Shi is not cruel.  Hey!"

Inuyasha had come up behind her and snatched the jewel away from the girl.  He didn't know who she was, but she was from the future, and the Shikon jewel glowed for her.  That meant. . .

"Kagome. . .you can go home now."

"Huh?"  She looked at Inuyasha with surprise.  "What do you mean, Inuyasha?"

"You're always complaining about how you need to go home, you need to go to school, blah-blah-blah.  Well, this girl can see the Shikon jewel too.  You can _stay_ home this time!"  Even Inuyasha couldn't stop his voice from getting excited at this outburst.

"But. . .but. . .Inuyasha, you can't be serious!  She can activate the rosemary, but. . .she's too. . .but she doesn't have miko powers. . .no!"

Inuyasha sighed, and walked over to Kagome.  He picked her up, and carried her over to the well.  He threw her in, and listened with satisfaction as he screamed all the way down, and then disappeared.

The girl blinked.  "Oy, Inuyasha. . ."

He turned around, and saw her standing there, with a look of confusion on her face.  "I get the fact you dropped the annoying girl down the well.  I get that she went back into the present.  The rest of what just happened. . ._whoosh_."  She pulled a hand over her head, indicating it had gone right over her head.

Inuyasha tossed the jewel back at the girl.  He had her scent; if her tried to run away, he'd catch her in a manner of moments.  "Take that, and you're guarding it now."

". . .Explanation, please?"

He sighed.  "Since you ask so nicely. . ."

She scowled at him.  "Don't get used to it."

"Well, Kagome said this is known as the "Warring States" age of Japan.  I have no idea what that means, but there are a lot of demons crawling around in this time.  They all want _that_."  He pointed at the jewel.  "The Shikon no tama, or the bead of four souls.  It boosts a demon's power greatly. . .and you're in charge of it now.  We've been collecting it for a few months now."

"I see."  She looked at it.  "That's it?"

"Ah-ha. . ." She could practically see the little anime-styled sweat drop on his face.  "Well, Kagome always went back in the well for school and that kind of stuff. . ."

She snorted.  "Waste of time.  Okay, if you told me that, I guess I owe a slight explanation about how I got her. . .I grew up in New York City in America on my own.  I have over two hundred yards range with the daggers, and I'm accurate to the millionth of a millimeter.  I can to Japan because I don't have a reputation there.  I was sneaking around of her property and I saw the door open and thought I'd be safe spending the night there, because the tracks there didn't seem to recent.  I planned on just jumping on the well for safety, but when I jumped in, I fell through into. . .here.  But I do have a name.  I just didn't want to have to tell it to that little. . .girl.  My name is Angela."  She shrugged.

Inuyasha stared at her.  "A. . .America?"

She winced.  "That's right, America doesn't exist yet!  Uh, since I came from the future, you won't know where that is. . .never mind. . ."

_New York City?_

"Right. . .okay, well, let's go tell Miroku about this. . .he'll want to know."

She looked at him with some more confusion.  "Who's Miroku?"

"Miroku is. . ." He shrugged.  "You're best off just meeting the leech."

"Leech?"  Inuyasha stared walking, and she followed him.  "What do you mean, he's a leech?"

He sighed to himself.  _If she doesn't shut up, so help me, I'll. . .do something to her!_

She finally did shut up, and walked about ten feet behind him, glaring daggers into the back of his head.  He didn't trust her back there, but as long as there weren't any quick movements, he was fine with her being there.  At least she wasn't badgering him for a ride like Kagome. . .

~*~

Announcer: AND NOW. . .IT'S TIME FOR. . .POKE INUYASAH WITH A STICK!!!!  AND YES, IT'S POINTED!  -Just for you Monty Python fans-

Inuyasha:  Nani?!?!

Angela: You!  Get away from that microphone!  *pushes balding announcer away from the mike and grabs it*  Oh, fear me now!

Inuyasha: *grabs it from her* What's this thing?  *ears go back in pain as the feedback attacks him* OWWW!!!  My poor hearing. . .

Angela: *pats him on head, annoying him* Poor baby. . .  *hopes he doesn't kill her for that*

Inuyasha: *screaming as loudly as he can* What did you say?  I can't hear a word you're saying!

Angela: *is nearly deafened by him* Well. . .at least he couldn't hear me. . .

Don't ask.  Please don't.  This is what happens when I have sugar and an Inuyasha of my own to control.  Like I said, please R&R, and tell me if I should make something else with this, and actually do something with it. . .has anyone here seen Record of Lodoss War?  I could turn it into, "The Second Part!"


	3. Hostility and Strange Powers

Yes, I have been spelling rosary rosemary.  Blame the spell check on my computer, which INSISTED that rosary was not a word.  It's been. . .dealt with. . .this is my freaking present to the world-or should I say curse?  Well, as usual, R&R. . .and any grammatical mistakes have been made due to stress.  I want this posted, then Mr. Computer says goodnight.

Oh, yes, I must state:  Inuyasha is not mine.  I had hopes for Christmas. . .but they fell through.  So, he doesn't belong to me.  But I'm sure he'd have more fun if he did.  The only things I own in this story are any original characters, and the plot.  Which I probably stole form somewhere else.  Oh, screw it, it's not mine, and if you take it, I will personally hunt you down!

". . .Hey, it's a demon!"

"Where?"  Miroku turned, and saw Inuyasha and some girl walking down the street.  He frowned slightly.  _Who's that?  And where's Kagome?_  "That's Inuyasha.  The half-demon I was talking about."

"So is that Kagome?"

"No. . .I don't know who that is."

"I thought you said you did!"

Miroku frowned again.  "I'm sorry!  I just don't recognize that girl. . .she's following Inuyasha willingly, so at least he didn't kidnap her or something.  I just hope he didn't kill Kagome. . .she's been acting kinda like a lovesick puppy for the past week."

The girl with Miroku, whose name happened to be Megan, rolled her eyes.  "Hn."

Megan had been working as a barmaid.  After Sango had-once again-rejected Miroku, she had left.  She had last been seen leaving with someone who seemed genuinely interested in her, and not just touching her.  Miroku hadn't been able to convey his feelings in any other way; touching her was just his way of timidly expressing emotion.  Otherwise, he'd had been done feeling her up months ago.

So, in an inexplicable low mood, Miroku had gone into the bar Megan happened to work in, and had just started asking every girl in the bar to bear his child.  He had been rejected every time, yes, but it was interesting to see the looks on their face.

Megan had been different.  She had said yes.  Miroku had been surprised, and asked if she was serious.  She had replied by screaming, _"No!"_ in his face and hitting him over the head.  Spurred by the fact she had a reaction to him, he had quickly asked her to come with him on the Shikon hunt.  She was surprised to learn he was traveling with Inuyasha, since he had made a name for himself fifty years ago.  News of his re-awakening was still traveling around Japan, and she hadn't heard yet.  Which was surprising, considering how often they stayed in this town when they weren't on a Shikon hunt.  She had agreed to come only because she had nowhere else to go, and it seemed like it might be fun.

So when Inuyasha was returning with some girl who was glaring daggers into everyone who looked at her, they were both intrigued.  "He doesn't seem like such a great or fear-inspiring demon."

Miroku chose to ignore the "fear-inspiring" part of her statement.  There were still a lot of rumors left over from before Inuyasha had been sealed.  Miroku made a note to ask him what exactly he had done. "Like I said, he's only a half demon."

"Well, I'm a quarter."

He looked at her in surprise.  "Really?"

She nodded, rolling her eyes.  A tail suddenly appeared on her, swishing back and forth.  "One fourth cat demon," she said with obvious pride.  Miroku chuckled a little.

"That's interesting.  Inuyasha's a dog demon."  She scowled at that.

"Well, if he starts chasing me, I'll swipe his eyes out."

"He's got claws, too.  Don't underestimate him.  Besides, the Tetsusaiga is too dangerous too tangle with.  I could probably use my hand and suck it in, but it'd be a horrible waste. . ."

She sighed.  "Of course.  The one weapon you have you won't use.  Baka. . ." Miroku chose to ignore that, too.

"Oy, Inuyasha!"  The dog demon instantly turned, in a ready-for-whatever-the-hell's-being-thrown-at-me pose.  "Over here!"  Inuyasha sighed, and jerked his head in Miroku's direction, signaling at the girl.  She snapped something back to him, and Inuyasha almost winced at the obviously harsh words.

Inuyasha and Angela walked over to the other two.  The girl managed to keep up with his triple pace with fair ease, although she seemed annoyed at his apparent need to walk so fast.

". . .So, I'm assuming this is the leech?"  Were the words Angela chose to introduce herself with, while gesturing neutrally at Miroku, keeping a bored look on her face.

"What?" Miroku glared at Inuyasha, who shrugged.

"I just used Sango's favorite word to describe you.  Didn't know it would offend you. . .who's she?"  He jerked his head at Megan, since his hands were too busy holding up his head to be used for a practical purpose like gesturing normally.

"This is Megan.  She's a fourth cat demon, and she'll be helping us look for the Shikon shards.  Who's that?"

". . .I get it, since you chased Sango off, you need another girl to grab.  Keh."  Miroku looked as if he may have been considering injuring the half demon, which seemed oblivious to his glare.  "This is Angela, the new Shikon Detector."

She didn't bat an eye at that term, but growled under her breath, "Watch it, Inu-baka." Inuyasha growled at that, but didn't otherwise react.  Angela half-smiled at the other two.  "Sorry.  He doesn't seem to have manners.  Kagome. . .went home, if you want to call being thrown down a well going home.  And I get the 'honor'," without realizing it, she copied Inuyasha's finger quotes from an hour earlier, "of detecting the stupid glowing jewel.  So, if we have to get three more of these," she held up the dull Shikon shard she had, "let's get going."  The look she had on her face indicated quite clearly that she didn't think looking for shards was a big deal."

Megan looked at the sky, looking around.  "Uh. . .how are we supposed to know which way to go?"

"Usually we wait until we hear a rumor of a demon, and then we get to go kill it."

Angela snorted.  "That's a horrible plan.  All the demons have to do is make sure everyone who sees it dies.  Why don't you just choose a direction and walk?  You said you don't know how many of the jewels there are, so why not?  It makes sense."

Inuyasha scowled.  "Because if we did that, and a monster attacked here, it'd be defenseless.  And killing everyone who sees a demon isn't as easy as it sounds."

"What's so special about this place?"

"Kaede lives here.  She's Kikyo's younger sister.  We need to make sure she's okay," Miroku supplied when Inuyasha didn't answer.

". . .Who's Kikyo?"

Inuyasha didn't answer that.  He glared at Ang, turned around, and walked into the town.  Angela frowned.  "Who does he think he is?"  She muttered to herself, in such a tone that made Miroku wonder what she was thinking.  "Just because he's a demon doesn't mean he gets cut slack.  Oy, Inuyasha!"  The last two words she yelled at the retreating red back.

"Huh?"  He turned around, scowling to himself.  What she did need now?  They had gotten on bad terms on the walk to town when she had innocently asked him about himself, and his family.  _I guess "Shut the fuck up," wasn't what she wanted to hear.  I can't help mot wanting to tell her the details of my life.  We just met, what, half an hour ago?_

"Sit!"

"Ah!"  He once again felt the familiar weight pressing in on his back as he was pressed to the ground.  "S-shit. . ." He glared at her, but he doubted she could see that from such a distance.  This wasn't any better.  She was just as bad as Kagome, sitting him in the middle of a town, where everyone could publicly watch his humiliation.  Things didn't look any better for him.

The weight was released, and Inuyasha stood up, and glared at her.  Their glares met across the town.  Angela turned around, brushing her braid over her shoulder in a gesture of contempt for the half demon.  It swished down around her knees as she walked away.  She didn't even give him a backwards look as she stalked away.

Inuyasha continued to glare at her back.  _Little bitch. . .she's as bad as Kagome.  Maybe able to defend herself against things other than insects, but a bitch the same.  And if she ends up using this stupid thins as often as Kagome, so help me, I'll kill her._  He finally broke his gaze with her back and started walking.  He didn't even pay attention as to where.  He just wanted to get away from stupid girls who abused their power over him.  _Maybe Kagome is better.  She at least _seemed_ to have a conscious._****

Miroku looked back and forth between the two.  They were having a fight within a day of meeting each other.  Even he hadn't been able to pull that off with Sango.  He'd have asked Inuyasha what had set him off like that, but after seeing his murderous stare, he thought it a better idea if he just let them cool off.  The girl's anger had been so totally sudden, without any warning.  She had gone from almost peaceful to near fury within seconds.  Angela had quickly left town.  Miroku and Megan had both agreed it'd be safer if they followed her and made sure that she didn't get her head bitten off by a demon.

"You know," said Megan as they walked through the town, "she's actually being pretty stuck-up if you think about it."

Miroku looked at her, raising an eyebrow.  "Yes, I'm sure.  She's just been plunged deeply into the past, has no idea who any of us are, and is being told to collect pieces of a shattered jewel she's never heard of.  Plus, didn't Kagome say were aren't demons in her time?"

Megan shrugged.  "I never met her.  But she gave Inuyasha and us the cold shoulder, and. . .I just don't think she seems very nice."

Miroku frowned.  "It's interesting, though.  She doesn't seem afraid of Inuyasha, even though I'm sure she knows how strong he is.  I wouldn't say she's holding him in contempt, but. . .well, it's definitely not respect."

". . .If there aren't demons where she's from, shouldn't she be afraid?"

He nodded, a grim look on his face.  "Yes."  _Inuyasha said Kagome was afraid of some of the demons she met. . .I hope this doesn't turn out like that._

They followed her in silence for a while.  Then, Megan gulped a little, trying to hide it from Miroku.  He picked it up easily.  "What?"

"The wood she's heading into.  It's. . .said to be haunted by a killer."

"A flesh or spiritual killer?"

Megan seemed confused.  "What do you mean?"

"A living one or a killer from beyond the grave?"

"He's a ghost.  I've never actually seen it, so I'm not sure if I believe it.  But no one ever goes there.  Those who do. . .well, I've never seen anyone come back.  We shouldn't let her go in."

"Too late."

"Huh!?"  Megan had turned from watching Ang to watching Miroku.  She turned back, and saw her entering the glade that did, indeed, have an ominous look to it.  "Come on.  We can probably pull her out before the ghost finds her."

Miroku nodded again.  They ran towards her, and soon found themselves at the end of the glade.  Miroku stopped suddenly.  He _could_ feel an evil spirit surrounding the woods.  Nothing as evil as Onigumo, but evil still.  "Yes. . .there is definitely something in there that's not mortal."

Megan smirked, unable to help herself.  "Told ya."

He smiled wanly.  "I didn't say you were lying."

"You implied it."

"Come on.  We have to get her out of this."

She nodded wordlessly, and they walked into the woods.  It became almost instantly dark, and they had to rely on sheer touch and feel.  Abruptly, they came upon a clearing, and found an interesting sight.

Angela was sitting on the ground, her eyes closed, facing them.  A whirlwind was surrounding her.  The swirls of black, blue, and the occasional purple nearly obscured her body.  She was chanting something under her breath, non-stop.

She opened her eyes suddenly, and saw Miroku and Megan staring at her.  Her eyes showed no emotion, but she lifted her hand.  The winds gathered around her hand, and began to shrink to fit it.  She continued to chant, not stopping whatever she was saying.

Without warning, the currents of air seemed to disappear, becoming nothing but dust motes around her hand. The dark atmosphere surrounding the woods evaporated, leaving it feeling normal.

Miroku lifted his staff into a defensive position, keeping an eye on Megan.  "What exactly are you?"

She stood up, not yet taking her eyes off them.  She raised her hand even to Miroku, and quietly said, "Do you want him sealed also, Shi?"

~*~

TIME FOR. . .Oh my GOD, what IS THAT?

Inuyasha:  What?

Angela: *breaths heavily*

Inuyasha: *turns to look at her* What _is_ it?  *pokes her*

Angela: Hey!  I _like_ my thermal visor!

Inuyasha, Megan, and Miroku:  . . .Thermal visor. . .huuuhhhh?

Angela: *sighs* It's from the future!  It makes heat turn orange or yellow or red, and cold stuff blue and colors like that.  I can see your body heat!  And according to my visor. . . **adjusts it a little** Inuyasha is the hottest!  *realizes how that sounded* Hey!  Who made me say that?!

Everyone: The author.

*a deep laughter is heard*

Inuyasha:  That's not your voice!

Author: Shut up!  Unless you want to suddenly be a chicken. . .

*images of an Inuyasha chicken dance above his head*

Inuyasha: . . .That's horrible.

Yes, I have been playing Metroid Prime FAR too long today.  Anyway, as usual, if you review me, as long as I know who you are, and you have a story, I will review you too.  It's a common courtesy.  And besides, it's just nice!


	4. A Black Goddess

Okay, this chapter is about twice as long as all the others.  Oh, the time one can find at their grandparents!  And of course, they don't have the internet, so this message was probably typed at least three days before this was posted.  I don't know; I haven't posted it yet, because I'm still writing it.  But it is 11:31-yes the one is important-at night, I am tired, and I can't stop writing.  It's like a curse.  I'm gonna die from sleep deprivation right HERE AND NOW.  I would actually; I'd kneel over and die, except for the fact that my friends would revive me so they could kill me for dying.  What an oxymoron.  HA!  It's oxymoronical!  That word is copyrighted, by me.  Anyhow, since I'll probably end up editing this tomorrow anyway, I'm not gonna keep typing it.  Take THAT, why don't you?!

You know you're tired when instead of typing fact, you type what.  WOW.

Anyhow, same rules apply:  Inuyasha is not mine.  The lady who owns it has a Japanese name I can spell, but am too tired to without mercilessly killing it.  I don't own: Inuyasha *cries*, Miroku, and. . .well, the setting at that stuff.  I don't own Japan, either. . .I'd LIKE to, but I don't.  Wah.  I DO own the plot, Angela, Shi, and Biiru-which is actually Japanese for beer, so I guess I don't really own him-and I own Megan.  Actually, I don't, because Megan owns Megan.  Because if I owned Megan, Megan would kill me.  Ever notice the way I make things italic in the story, but I just make them capital letters here?  Odd.

Yeah. . .well, I've taken four paragraphs-if you wanna count the little line and this as a paragraph-to type a half a paragraph worth of actual words.  So. . .I guess that means I should stop typing.  *doesn't move* See?!  It's like a curse. . .the keyboard is making me type, I swear. . .

~*~

Inuyasha practically stalked through the town, trying not to think of vicious and violent ways to kill Angela, ultimately failing.  It was just too tempting to not think about.  He soon found himself near the same stream he had tried to drop Kagome off at earlier.  Much to his annoyance, the stream was still not hot.

Of course, he knew it wasn't going to magically become hot.  After all, the hot spring wasn't actually where he was standing.  But he was in such a foul mood that it would have been better for the stream if it had magically moved away in the middle of the night.  The stream, however, refused to realize its peril, and continued in the same manner it always had, splashing all over the place.

Not knowing what else to do, he flopped down next to the stream, and began to absently swipe at the passing water, like a cat would have done.  Of course, if he had realized _that, he would have stopped.  But no one was nearby to inform the half-demon he looked like a cat, and even if someone had been, they would have seen the look on his face, and ran away.  After nearly five minutes of smacking water, he stopped, and stood up.  He had to do __something to alleviate his sheer annoyance, tinted with boredoom._

He jumped into a tree, and looked around; hoping to sight of a demon-or even a _part demon-nearby he could kill, and claim he thought it had a Shikon shard._

Then he slunk down the tree, ears flat on his head in shame.  _What's wrong with me?  Just because I managed to piss of yet another__ girl doesn't mean anything__ to me.  I'm just weirded out because of the way she showed up.  No one else is supposed to be able to use the well.  I'm a little jumpy because I don't know what she's like, unlike the way I knew Kagome._

He scowled.  _Maybe I shouldn't have gotten rid of her.  I know we had our differences, but. . .well, that doesn't mean that I hated her.  Maybe we didn't agree on everything, but. . .I guess maybe I'll miss her.  I dunno.  Maybe someday I'll go back and get her, but for the time being, I was more than willing to trade her for Angela, so I'll put up with her.  If I really can't stand Ang, I guess I'll just ask her to leave and get Kagome back.  Or, he thought with a cruel grin, __I'll make__ her leave.  Just like Kagome.  We'll see how she likes being thrown down the well._

He stood up, at peace, and listened to the nearby woods.  Something was. . .wrong.  He didn't know these woods very well, and he knew that, but when all the birds were silent, and the animals didn't even move, he knew something was very wrong.  He listened carefully.

There was an inhuman sound he instantly recognized.  It was very faint, the rest he didn't hear it at first, but he definitely knew what is was.  He cursed, and jumped towards the cries of distress, which were silent to all but demons, or other creatures which could hear that high of a cry.  _Stupid humans can't hear that high._

When he arrived at the spirit's grove, he could already tell the spirit was not longer free.  He landed quietly behind a tree, and saw an interesting sight.  Angela was simply holding her hand up, directing it at Miroku and that cat-girl-Megan, was it?-and they were both cowering.  Well, Miroku was.  If Angela did whatever she was threatening to do, obviously it'd be painful for them.  Megan could jump quickly enough to get away, he assumed.  Otherwise, she'd be cowering too.  _So what is she threatening to do?_

Angela lowered her hand slowly, like she was relieving a great tension.  Inuyasha couldn't see her expression, but Miroku looked confused.  She looked up at the sky, and he heard her murmur, "Thank you, Shi."

"Shi?"  All three of the people in the clearing turned to look at Inuyasha as he stepped out from behind his tree, then putting his full weight against it as he leaned on it.  "Isn't that the goddess you worship?"

She nodded.  "Mmm-hmm.  She is."

". . .So, what did she do that was _great enough for you to praise her?  And what the hell happened to the spirit that was in this glade?  I had a. . .deal with it."_

Megan seemed surprised.  "You had a _deal with that thing?  It's been killing people in this town for. . .actually, only a few months.  Around the time Miroku said you were un-sealed by Kagome."_

Inuyasha shrugged.  "There's a band of animals around here that I'd rather not deal with.  They're not a threat, but. . .well, let's say they're annoying.  And I told him if he didn't go rampaging, and killed only those who came to him, I'd leave him alone.  I usually don't let any other strong beings hang around where I am."

". . .Why wasn't he a ghost?  Or just dead?"

Inuyasha shrugged with annoyance.  "How should I know?"

". . .He angered Shi."

"Huh?"  They whole group turned their gaze from Inuyasha to look at Ang, who was sitting on the ground, looking rather pale.  "What do you mean, Angela?  And what's wrong with you?"

"Ang is shorter.  And I mean. . .in his life, he angered Shi.  Maybe he insulted death.  Who really knows?  But Shi won't let those who anger her pass into the next life.  It's. . .not something she likes to do.  And it just takes a lot of energy to seal powerful spirits.  He's killed a lot of people.  He was pretty strong."

"You mean that because this guy pissed off your all-might lady goddess, he wasn't allowed to die?"

"Yes."

"How is that a curse?"

"Use your head, Miroku.  He'd _never die.  A million years from now, he'd still be haunting this grove of trees, or the area.  He can't go too far from the place he died.  He must have died in this wood.  That's why this area felt so dark.  He was angry from having been kept here so long, unable to use his eternal life."_

"Huh.  How do you know all of this?"

She smiled peacefully.  The expression looked out of place on her exhausted face.  "I am the Priestess of Death."

"You mean you're _a priestess of death."  Miroku didn't seem to be particularly surprised at the news.  __I guess he's run into a lot of strange religious people on his travels.  I've never asked him, Inuyasha realized.  __In fact, I really don't know that much about him._

"No.  _The Priestess of Death."_

"That's. . ."

She smiled at Miroku's disbelief.  "I understand if you do not believe me, Buddhist monk.  I would be hard-pressed to believe you were Buddha's Priest.  Then again, I have just met you."

Inuyasha snorted to himself.  _So, he's willing to accept a priestess of death, but not the__ Priestess of Death.  Figures…_

Inuyasha snorted again, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear him.  "So you've got priestess powers."  _Like Kikyo. . . "That doesn't mean you have supreme powers."  __She does seem a lot like Kikyo.  She's been pretty…emotionless the whole time we've been here.  Except when we first got here.  Ever since…did I really hurt her that much when I told her I didn't want to talk about my family?  Enough that she totally closed all of us off?_

She looked at Inuyasha with a blank expression.  "Would you like proof, half-demon?"  Inuyasha didn't know if he should take the way she said the word as an insult or not.  "Because I can give that."

_Damn, maybe I did hurt her more than I thought.  Can't she even call me by name__?  "Fine.  Show me."_

She stood up, and nodded at Inuyasha.  Somehow or other, during Miroku's discussion with Ang, Megan and Inuyasha had shifted so they were sitting behind Miroku, who was sitting in front of Ang.  Vaguely reminiscent of a triangle.  "Very well."

She lifted her hand to the sky, her face staring ahead.  Her eyes were closed, and her face was concentrated.  She was saying _something, but not even Inuyasha's sensitive ears could pick it up.  The sun, which had been shining through the hole above their heads seemed to become darker.  Inuyasha felt his body become go on alert, sensing some being he couldn't see, hear, smell, or feel.  He just sensed that suddenly another spirit had joined them, one who was unequalled in danger, and unequalled in sheer power._

Miroku and Megan seemed equally uncomfortable, but Angela seemed to actually relax in the feeling.  She opened her eyes, and looked up, with a mixed expression on her face.  Happiness, elevation, longing, and a look of worship seemed to be mixing equally across her face.  Really, the emotions showed in her eyes, because when they had opened, those emotions seemed to spill from them to the rest of the face.  _Her emotions are all in her eyes.  They don't show on the rest of her face._

Inuyasha realized a black cloud was beginning to surround her hand.  That just made him all the more ready to jump at whatever she was doing.  _If I hit her now, then she'll have to stop to protect herself._

He prepared to actually act upon this idea, but something held him to the ground.  Not really a sense of fear.  He hadn't been afraid since the time he thought Kagome had died under his protection.  And this. . .girl with strange powers wasn't going to do what no one had done before!  He broke free of the half trance she had on him, and leaped at her, unconsciously snarling. And baring his fangs.  His claws reached for her frail body, which had to be a good twenty pounds underweight for her short height.

A second black cloud formed right in front of her, knocking him down as if it were solid, acting as her shield.  He was actually dazed from the hit, and could only manage to sit up, and blink stupidly at it.  _That's not any regular spell.  That's really __powerful magic.  Both Miroku and Megan seemed actually afraid of it now, since Inuyasha seemed to be ineffective against it.  They still had Miroku's air void to fall back on, but if demon couldn't touch it, why should he be able to?  Miroku fiddled with his rosary, prepared to rip it off his hand it need be._

"Don't worry, monk.  I have no ill intentions."  A soft voice, obviously feminine, chided him for his worry.  "I merely do not like it when people-or demons, in this case-threaten my Priestess."

Megan was the first to react to that.  "Shi?"

There was a slight laughing noise, followed by a sense of amusement.  "Of course, Megan.  Did you think she had summoned the God of Life by accident?"

The clouds abruptly cleared.  Angela was sitting on the ground, looking very tired, but remarkably at peace.  _She doesn't look too good, actually.  I should make her rest after this goddess leaves… He frowned to himself.  __Keh!  What do I care about her, anyhow?  Sitting next to her was a girl of about the same age, but still managing to look like she had lived to watch the cosmos come into existence, and would be there when they were destroyed.  Shi._

Inuyasha couldn't help himself.  "Why the hell would you want _her to be your Priestess?"_

Shi looked as if she was smiling and frowning at the same time.  "What the gods choose to do is not a concern of yours, mortal."

"I'm less of a mortal than her."

"That you may be.  But. . .she was more willing to accept Death as her guardian."

Shi looked interesting.  Her eyes were coal black, yet managed to look kind and caring, but not enough that you'd want to entrust her with your life.  Her hair was short, only coming down to rest on her shoulders.  Inuyasha had always imagined the goddesses to have really long hair.  The few times he had thought about it, at least.  She was wearing a black dress, fringed with yellow, which had no sleeves.  It went right across her body, coming dangerously close to being too low.  But of course, she still looked pure.  Since she was kneeling instead of sitting, Inuyasha couldn't actually see how long the dress was, but it looked as if it was going all the way down to her ankles.  Inuyasha had, however, caught a fleeting glance of her feet.  She wasn't wearing shoes.

"Why was she so willing to accept you?  Death isn't exactly my idea of a caring person."

The pair of women met eyes.  Ang simply nodded, eliciting a gentle smile from the goddess.  "Then I'll tell you.  The gods do not lie."

"They simply haze the truth on occasion enough that it's _considered a lie."_

Shi glanced sharply at Inuyasha.  "Do you want me to seal you to the body of a toad?"

Inuyasha winced winced.  "You can't do that!"

Megan looked thoughtful.  "That'd be one ornery toad…"

Miroku rolled his eyes.  "You should like a hick when you said ornery."

"I can ask the goddess who controls souls to let me.  Unless you've worshipped her a long time, she really won't care.  Mortals come and go so quickly to the gods."

"Even demons?"

"Demons?  No, they last a little longer.  But you're not a full demon.  Your great father won't increase your lifespan.  A half-demon will always have the lifespan of a half-demon.  Your life has no real influence on any of the events I care about."

"Hn.  And what events are those?"

She smiled.  "I didn't agree to tell you anything other than why I chose Angela as my Priestess.  This is not related."

"It must be.  You must have chosen her for a reason, which will influence the events you're looking after."

"Clever.  But I'll tell you what you need to know."

Inuyasha didn't react to that.  He really didn't care about the events this black-clad goddess was watching over, but it would have been interesting to learn them.  "Hn."

Shi returned her gaze to the two more cooperative members of the party.  "I found Angela when her parents had just died.  She was only. . .oh, I believe it was seven?"  Ang nodded.  "Yes.  Well, I found her, huddled in an alley, crying because she was hungry.

"At the time, I was masquerading as a human, because I had nothing to do at the time.  The gods have little to none sources to amuse themselves with, in reality.  Being a human can be so interesting.  The mistakes you people make, the fascinating things you do…but back to the real topic.  I had been drawn to that alley because I could feel a strong sense of death in the alley.  Many had come there to die of whatever plagued them.  Angela was no different.  She came to die of hunger for food she could not have.

"I gave her some food.  Just because I am the Goddess of Death does not mean I am by any means cruel.  She was, of course, thankful.  She asked me if I was an angel, because no one else who she asked would give her food.  I laughed, and asked her why she should consider me an angel.  She said it was because I had wings.

"To clarify, all gods and goddesses have wings.  Each is fit to their own color.  Mine are black.  The god of fire has red and orange wings.  It all depends.  I belief Life is fitted with white wings…no matter what I do, I cannot remove my wings without destroying myself as a goddess.  The wings are non-existing in the mortal realm, so they don't get in the way of get battered by objects.  I always have wings.  Even now, as I sit in front of you, I have wings.  You just can't see them."

"Why not?"

"Because, monk, they are invisible to mostly everyone.  However, a Priest or a Priestess can see them.  Or someone with the capability to be one.  When she saw my wings, I immediately asked her if she was a Priestess.  She didn't even understand what I meant, and said she wasn't a nun.  I, at the time, didn't have a Priest or a Priestess, so finding her was a gift.  Priests are extremely hard to find.  Very few have the ability to be a Priest.  Even fewer are willing to accept the sacrifice, either.  Being a Priest means that you must follow every word your god tells you, whether you want to or not.

"Before I could accept her, or even ask her to be my Priestess, I needed to get to know her, and make sure she was the one I wanted.  I took her with me, to the place I was living.  It was really only a simple apartment.  But she said she had never been inside one before.  She had grown up on the streets.  I was admittedly surprised.  I asked her to show me how she had kept herself alive.  She showed me the belt with the daggers-she still has it.  She hasn't outgrown it yet.  She has amazing talent with those daggers.  Not only does she have wonderful range, but she is extremely accurate.  She could take out a whole gang on her own, without having to get within a hundred feet of them.  As long as she had those daggers, she could stay alive.

"All this by the age of seven.  Her parents told her only to use the dagger in an emergency, but she had become a pro quickly.  It's simply too dangerous on the streets to _not become an expert on fighting.  Unless you have a death wish.  I asked her what her religion was.  Countless people have been unable to become a Priest/ess because of the simple fact it was against their religion.  She said she didn't believe in a God.  But she believed in a Death, because 'he's taken everyone away from me.'_

"I had to explain to her my exact job.  That it's not that I actually take away the people-a natural death happens without me ever actually realizing it.  It's as natural as breathing to me.  So I hadn't actually taken her parents away, they had unwillingly left her.  Then I managed to convince her to become my Priestess.  It didn't take much effort.  She liked the idea of someone always being there to protect her.  Always watching her, being her friend or guardian-forever.  Someone who wouldn't die on her the way everyone else seemed to do.  She did, however, remain on the streets.  It takes great energy for a god to live as a human, and very few live whole lives as one.  I had to return to duties I had.  But I kept careful watch on her.  She still doesn't depend on me, but if she's in a last ditch effort, I'll help her.  She thinks it's cheating to use my help in a fight."

"It is."

"Oh, be quiet you!"  Shi laughed, and swatted at her.  "To there were demons where she grew up.  She was just surprised to met another demon so quickly when arriving in another time.  Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

No one answered immediately.  Miroku and Megan were thinking, staring at the goddess sitting in front of them.  Inuyasha was staring at Angela.  _Protected by a goddess, huh?  Kagome can't get us that kind of help.  And why is she acting so mild with that goddess here?  No, she's been this way ever since I yelled at her.  Damn it, is everything__ my fault?  He frowned.  __Or maybe she's just tired.  She looks it._

Shi looked at him, distracting his concentration.  _You know, Inuyasha, she really doesn't__ understand that you have become angry due to her asking about your family.  She's willing to talk about hers, and they died right in front of her.  You owe it to her to at least tell her._

Inuyasha blinked.  That had been Shi's voice, but she hadn't said anything to him.  In fact, she had moved her gaze back to Miroku.  _She spoke. . .into my mind?_

_Correct, dog-demon.  Your thoughts are not secret to me.  No one's secrets are their own here.  I merely ask the questions to help you accept me more.  It'd be harder for you to know the questions you wanted to ask before you even thought of them._

_Do you think we'd be unable to accept you otherwise?  Inuyasha was instantly angry at the fact she had just invaded his privacy, and was continuing to do so.  __At least she can settle whatever is she wants without the others having to hear it._

_You have such pride, Inuyasha.  I can see from just skimming your thoughts that it's important to you to be in charge.  To be right__.  Kagome threatened that, didn't she?  She challenged almost everything you said.  Took lead on her own.  And it bothered you.  It made you want to beat her all the more.  And you couldn't.  So you pretend to hate her.___

_I do!_

_If that were true, then you wouldn't deny it with so much emotion.  No, you don't hate her.  I understand what you feel, even if you don't.  You are no mystery to me.  I only want to tell you one thing, half-demon._

_I liked "dog" better than "half."  What do you want to tell me so much?_

_Be nicer to Angela.  Don't toy with her._

_Huh?_

_You have the capability to hurt her greatly.  I can feel it.  That doesn't mean you will, or even if you do that you'll know you did it.  In fact, looking at you, you might have already done it.  But try not to._

_I'll ignore the insult.  I owe nothing to this girl._

_And you owe nothing to me.  I understand.  But I know there is indeed good in your heart, and I'm asking you-even if only this once__-to use it.  I know you let Kagome see that kindness more than once.  In fact, if you could sacrifice some of your pride, you two would get along well.  But all I'm asking if for you to not deliberately hurt Ang.___

_. . .I guess I can't ignore the wish of a goddess._

_You could.  But I know you won't._

_Well, it's not my fault if she uses this stupid rosary the way Kagome did._

_Kagome only used it to protect herself.  Angela. . .I doubt she'll even use it for that._

_You call all the times she used it "protection?!"_

_No.  Most of the time.  The times she didn't were the times when she was angry at you for being so uncaring to the way she felt about you.  Inuyasha felt at total unease with that statement.  How would she know what Kagome felt for him?  Well, of course, she'd be able to read her thoughts just as easily, but the fact she __had. . .it made him angry.  __See?  You feel something for her.  You just don't know what yet.  You'll sort it out in time._

Inuyasha didn't really think of an answer to her statement, so she continued talking to Miroku.  He realized with a start of surprise that she had been explaining something to them the whole time they had been talking.  _She is pretty powerful, I guess._

". . .I still don't get it, Lady Shi."

"Please, I really prefer to be called Shi.  What don't you understand, monk?"

"If I'm gonna have to call you Shi, then call me Miroku.  I don't get _how you can have met her in the future, and yet you know all of this in the past.  It hasn't happened to you yet __here, so how do you know how you'll meet Angela?"_

"You think too much like a human to truly ever understand.  I'll simplify it.  You know how you can move in six directions.  Forward, backward, left, right, up, and down.  Well, I can move in the same directions, and two more.  Past and future.  There is only one Goddess of Death.  More than one of me do not exist in alternate time frames.  I know everything that will pass, and everything that has passed.  I already know her future." 

"Then you don't need to come here."

"Maybe I influenced the future."

"If it's happened already, it's not the future."

"But it's less confusing to explain it this way.  If I didn't come here, then what happened wouldn't have happened."

"Then what would have happened?"

Shi sighed, and shook her head.  "Too confusing to explain."

Miroku nodded.  "Alright.  Well, what exactly does Angela do for you?"

". . .Well, you saw an example.  There are some spirits when, at their time of death, I didn't allow them to pass on to their rest.  So, they need help after I've forgiven them.  Angela collects them.  The spirit of that man has already passed on.  The power he gained as a spirit is under her control, for use in a fight at a later date.  Some just don't want to go when it's their time.  So she fights them."

"This is why she wasn't afraid of Inuyasha, Miroku."

He nodded.  "Yes. . .I thought he was going to be the next spirit I was going to be forced to destroy."

Inuyasha couldn't interpret the tone of her voice.  He could almost hear sadness there, and at the same time anger.  _Did she want__ to destroy me?  Is she angry because she didn't, or is she sad because she thought she was going to have to?  He glanced at Shi, who was looking at him for a split second.  Her eyes had a sense of "I told you so."_

"Then, there are those that oppose me who are alive. . .and of course, I do need to make sure that at least a _few people have respect for me.  So Ang can get rid of them, too.  Which is why she asked if I wanted the monk and the cat-demon to be destroyed.  She really didn't want to, but she had to ask.  But anyhow, I have to go."  Shi stood up.  Everyone else followed suit, except Inuyasha, who remained on the ground, not paying close attention to the rest of the group.  The fact they had stood up didn't really matter; they could hear him on the ground as well as if he was standing up._

"Shi. . ."

She smiled at Angela.  "Don't worry, child.  You can call me back if you really want.  And yes, I am aware of how much energy it takes.  You know you can just _talk to me though.  I think you should get some rest.  Being on earth makes it harder to see what else is going on.  So, I wanna know if Life is making another move."_

Ang looked confused.  "Don't tell me it's still going on?"

Shi rolled her eyes.  "Yeah. . ."  Ang snorted.  "Actually, he's been suggesting a merger."  Angela made another face.  "Oh, come _off it!  You've met Biiru."_

"Yeah. . ."

Ang looked as if she had just taken in a whole rotten apple in one bite.  Shi sighed at the look on her face.  "Just think about it, okay?"

"I will, Shi."

"Good.  Well, good-bye."

Shi basically just. . .disappeared.  One minute, she was standing there, and the next, she was gone.  Megan sighed, and turned to Ang.  "Okay.  I figure that this 'merger' has something to do with you and this Biiru guy, and you don't like it.  So tell me."

~*~

And now, it's time for. . .

**_RANDOMLY-ABDUCTING-CHARACTERS-AND-FORCING-THEM-TO-ANSWER-STUPID-QUESTIONS!_**

With your host. . .the author!

Author: *smiles* I finally get to truly annoy someone!  Since I'm working at a serious-like attitude in the current story, I wanna just taunt someone here!

Announcer person: And now, for our. . . *pauses in confusion* Um. . .well, it seems that there isn't really another name for hostages.  So, bring in the hostage!

Hostage: . . .Why don't you call me by name?

Author: Because, that requires effort.  Introduce yourself!

Hostage: . . .How come my name didn't change?  My name is not Hostage!

Author: . . .*angry* Just _answer the question._

Hostage: Oh.  I'm Megan!  *pouts* My name hasn't changed yet.  And why should I answer any other questions?

Author: Because, I can do whatever I want to you.  Would you _like to become a purple tree with yellow polka dots?_

Megan: . . .Oh, look, my name changed.

Author: *sighs* Yes.  Well. . .first random question: why did you actually decide to go with Miroku?

Megan: 'Cause he's cute.

Author: *falls over, and twitches* Um. . .um. . .no.  I created your character, and you don't think that.

Megan: But I'm based off a real person.  And _she thinks Miroku is cute.  So therefore, I must too!_

Author: *surprised she actually managed to use the word 'therefore' while exhausted. . .stupid snow. . .don't ask!* . . .Well, no.  You're still wrong.  I made you my character, so you will follow my rules.  And if you don't like them. . . *manages to look evil* Then I will hurt you!

Megan: . . .Right.  _Anyway. . ._

Author: So, why were you a barmaid?

Megan: Because *beep* life doesn't like me.  *is very surprised* What the. . .?

Author: The Disney people don't like cursing unless necessary.

Megan: . . .Don't tell me all the cursing in this stupid story is _necessary._

Author: Absolutely.  Cursing is one of the most effective ways to express anger!

Megan: *glares*

Author: Other ways include glaring, as demonstrated by Megan, and killing cruelly, or just wanton destruction.

*a large crashing sound is heard from _somewhere in the general vicinity*_

Author: As demonstrated by whoever just decided to do that!  *mutters under breath* Where's Inuyasha when you need him?

Inuyasha: *pokes head in from a door that just randomly appeared* I'm here!  And why did Miroku just come crashing through _my window?_

Author: . . .Well, since I am in control of this, I guess my subconscious just wanted Miroku to fall through a window.  Natural causes.  *shrugs*

Megan: Poor Miroku!

Author: Well, since we're not getting anywhere, go away.  I have to capture my next hostage.

Megan:  But I don't wanna!

Author: *glares at Megan*

Megan: *glares back*

*Megan suddenly becomes a purple tree with yellow polka dots*

Tree: *shakes branch. . .well, it might be menacing. . .*

Author: Something's missing. . . *walks around tree, trying to figure it out* Of course!  *jumps up and puts a "dunce" hat on the tree* There we go.  Now, time to capture the next hostage!

Angela: So join us next time, on-

Author: Wait!  What happened to the old announcer?

Angela: Uh. . .well, you see, he kinda. . .sorta. . .he jumped out a window-_on his own free will-and fell into a garbage truck, and I haven't seen him again._

Author: *sighs* I'm not paying you.

Angela: I don't care.

Author: Fine then.

Angela: So join us next time, when we'll either be capturing the next hostage, poking the next hostage, or something entirely different!

~*~

As always, R&R!!!


	5. Biiru Appears

Okay. . .so I wrote another chapter at my grandparents.  So what if I'm bored?  So _what if I'm taking my frustration out on my poor and helpless character?  I feel sorry for her. . .well, actually, I shouldn't yet, but because of The Plan****__-Yes, Megan, I couldn't resist the opportunity to capitalize it-my character will be suffering.  So. . .R&R!_

Inuyasha isn't mine.  I think he'd be _much-much happier if he did belong to me, because I'd love him, and squeeze him, and. . .okay, too many Looney Toons today.  All Inuyasha related items aren't mine.  Miroku isn't mine.  Their clothes aren't mine.  The tree Inuyasha sits in isn't mine.  The idea of a demon isn't mine.  So, yes, most of this isn't mine._

But Angela, Biiru, and any other characters are _MINE.  That means you ask permission before using them, or any ideas in this story.  Not that you'd actually want to, but just in case, I'm required to type this as a warning.  So heed it, or great pain and suffering will fall upon you and all of your children!  Well, at least your Fan-Fiction account if I get a hold of it.  So, read, review, yell at me for destroying your "favorite character," -and if you yell at me this time, KW, I'm going to __laugh, because is she even __in this chapter?- and all that stuff.  And if you want to e-mail me, go ahead, but I'd prefer the review, because. . .well, it lasts longer.  I delete e-mails after a few weeks, and reviews are eternal. . .!  Oh my god, I need to stop quoting stupid Loony Toons. . .wow, I used the ". . ." things 52 times in this chapter.  Ouch._

~*~

Angela's eyes seemed to get distant at Megan's question.  "Biiru. . ." She shook her head.  "I don't want to talk about it."

Megan and Miroku looked at each other.  Miroku raised an eyebrow.  _Great.  That tone just screams__ something about love.  Or something related to it.  Either she loves him and he doesn't love her, or she did__ love him.  Something that's bound to be confusing._

"Why not?"

Angela glared in Inuyasha's direction.  He had finally stood up, in order to get a better view of her face.  Not that he intended on admitting that, but the fact remained he had wanted to see her face.  "I doubt any of you would really get what's bothering me.  It's. . .the way the merger has to be completed.  The two Priests have to agree on it.  And Biiru. . .well, he's ready to agree on it.  But I don't think I want to."

"How exactly is the deal made?"

Angela sighed.  ". . .It's not important.  It's my problem, not yours."  Her eyes glassed over for a minute.  "Come on," she finally said.  "There's a demon to the west Shi wants to deal with."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  "Does it have a Shikon shard?"

Ang shrugged.  "I don't know.  Does it really matter?"

Miroku nodded.  "Yeah.  Inuyasha won't fight it unless it's got something he wants."  He sighed.  "He says it's worthless and dangerous to risk his life when he doesn't have to."

Ang nodded.  "Makes sense, actually.  Fine then, Toto," she said, looking up to meet Inuyasha's non-committal gaze.  "I'll do it myself."

"What?"  She smirked at Inuyasha's suddenly surprised face.  "What makes you think _you can take on a demon?  And stop calling me Toto!"_

"Of course I can.  I've got Shi on my side, and I've got some powers of my own.  I'll be fine, _half-demon," she snapped back, emphasizing the "half."_

Inuyasha nearly winced at the words.  Even though he was only a half-demon, she didn't need to rub his face in it.  _And she's not even part demon.  At least Megan is part__ demon._

"Fine.  Get yourself killed.  I don't care!"

_But I do.  I do care.  I don't want her to get killed.  But I don't want to have to listen to her insult me, either.  If _I_ have too much pride, she's got just as much._  Inuyasha's resolve to not help her didn't waver a bit with the realization.  _If I could just get her to stop calling me Toto, maybe I'd consider it…_

Miroku scowled.  "What's your problem, Inuyasha?  You could help her, you know.  It won't kill you.  And if she dies, you have to get Kagome.  And I _know you hate her."_

_I don't hate Kagome.  I don't hate either of them.  But I can't admit that.  If I said that__, then Miroku'd rub the fact I gave in to them in my face every day.  I don't want that, either.  It's easier to just let them think I hate them.  Even if that hurts me__._

Megan sighed.  "Leave it, Miroku.  He's too high and mighty to help them.  We'll do what we can to help, though.  Even if 'Toto' won't help."

Ang smiled.  "Thank you.  I appreciate it."

"No problem."

The trio began walking, leaving Inuyasha behind.  They were talking loudly, making small jokes, most of them at Inuyasha's expense.  It didn't seem to matter to them that he could hear them.  After all, who was he?  Just some half dog-demon who was useful for only fighting.  Not even intelligent.

He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat.  What did it matter to him, anyway?  He was a demon, no matter if part of him was human.  He didn't need to deal with them anymore than they _wanted to deal with him.  __Why should it matter to me what they think of me?  I don't need them.  Hell, I don't even want to deal with them._

_But then. . .why does it hurt so much?_

**~*****~**

"Ang, when you said west, how far west did you mean?"

She smiled sheepishly.  "I'm not sure.  I just wanted to get away from Inuyasha.  He was. . .annoying me."

Miroku put a hand on her shoulder, and smiled at her.  "Don't worry.  He won't have helped any of us if we had asked.  Don't take it personally."

She rolled her eyes.  "Don't worry about _that.  Why would I take it personally?"_

_Of course I took it personally, Miroku!  You say he wouldn't have helped any of you, but your voice betrays you.  I know he'd help you.   It's me__ he won't help.  Me he hates.  Not Kagome.  I saw the way he treated her, and admittedly, he wasn't nice__, but if you looked at his eyes, it wouldn't take a genius to realize that he wasn't doing it for the reasons it looked like.  Maybe he wanted her to be safe.  Certainly this time isn't safe.  Or maybe, he just didn't realize how much he'd miss her.  Either way, he cares nothing for me.  I think he'd prefer it if I went and got Kagome for him._

"Say, Ang, explain something for me.  You said Biiru was a Priest, right?  Well, wouldn't he be in a different time than the one we're in?"

"Priests and Priestesses can perform a _type of time-travel.  We can skip around in time, but we can't go to a time we've already been to.  I, for instance, couldn't go back and save my parents, because I already lived through that time.  It makes more sense than the way the gods travel, in my opinion."_

"Yeah, it does."

They walked in silence for about another hundred yards.  Then, Angela stopped.  "Here."

Miroku and Megan looked around, and then finally looked at each other.  "I don't sense another demon's presence here," Megan said.

"Neither."

Ang chuckled.  "Of course you don't.  It's not here yet.  Shi says it'll stop here in. . .two minutes."

"How do you know our being here won't scare it away?"

"Have you ever scared a demon away?  And how do _you know that us being here isn't what will make it stop?"_

Miroku paused at that.  It was a good argument.  "Well, what are you supposed to do if you stop it?"

Ang frowned.  "Well, it's a demon.  Shi likes demons, so I'm sure I'm not supposed to kill it.  Besides. . .I don't think I could take a full demon on my own.  Shi says I could, but I don't think so.  Although, if Shi says I could, it must be true.  So, I guess to answer your question, I don't know."

Megan stiffened.  "I feel a demon."

"Huh?"  Miroku and Angela both stared at her.  "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you?"

"No."

Megan sighed.  "Well, it's gone now.  It must have been a lesser demon just passing through.  Or something."

"Mmm-hmm."  They sat back, and rested again.  The demon had another minute to get there.

Inuyasha leaned back against the tree.  Megan didn't sense him because he was high enough to not be considered to threat to a demon on the ground, but he was definitely close enough to be able to hear everything that was going on down on the ground.  He said he wasn't going to help, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to _be there.  __They don't have to know I'm even here.  All I have to do is sit here and drop down if they need me.  I can protect them without giving up any of my pride.  Why does everything revolve around pride?_

A minute later, a man walked into the area where the group sat waiting.  Inuyasha picked him up first, and dismissed him as a man that just was walking through.  Megan and Miroku didn't even hear him until he was where they were.  Angela stood up when she saw him.  She looked surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

The man smiled.  "Good to see you, too.  Don't worry about the demon, Shi told you that so you would come to meet me.  Shi and Issey are working on the merger as we speak, you realize."

Ang glared at him.  "You'd like that, wouldn't you Biiru?"

"Of course."  He smiled gently.  "And if you stopped. . .if you stopped opposing me for one, and liking others you wouldn't oppose it either."

Biiru didn't seem to be a bad person.  His tone was very reasonable, and he seemed to be sad that Angela had greeted him so harshly.  He was very handsome, with his blue eyes and wavy blond hair.  It went down to his shoulders as well, rather thin and stringy.  He was wearing robes, similar to Miroku's, only his were white, and fringed with the same yellow of Shi's dress.  He was wearing sandals with a thick bottom, but thin straps holding them to his feet.  He didn't hold a staff, but it was unmistakable that he was some sort of Priest.  "I hate to interrupt your gawking, Priestess, but would you care to introduce me to your friends?"

"The Buddhist priest is Miroku.  And this is Megan, a fourth-cat demon.  We're going to travel to look for Shikon shards with a half-demon named Inuyasha.  Megan, Miroku, this is Biiru, the Priest of Life.  And I do not like anyone."

Miroku blinked.  "Issey doesn't mean life, does it?"

"Let's just say it's preferred."

"Ah.  Why would Life and Death make a merger?"

"Think about it," Biiru replied.  "Someone with Angela's ability to contain and kill the spirits of the dead, to use the powers of death, combined with my powers of life.  The ability to grant life to anything.  To strengthen the life in someone, make them stronger.  The power to kill illnesses, which are living things."

Miroku nodded.  "Yes.  They would be fairly powerful."

Biiru turned back to Angela.  "So, I can see these two.  You meet the most interesting people, Angela.  Tell me more about this Inuwasha."  When he said his name, he waved his hand, as if the knowledge was trivial anyway, but something to know.

"Inuyasha."

"Yes.  Sorry."

"He's a half demon.  I don't know much about him, but I think he. . .oh, for Shi's sake, why do you care?  It's not of your business, and if you want to know what he's like, then why don't you ask him?"

_Maybe you'll have better luck than I did, Biiru. . ._

"I will sometime.  For now. . .please, all I ask of you is to try to accept the merger.  You don't know it's what I want.  I am certain it's not what you want, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be if you put a little effort into it.  Just try to think of me as someone you don't hate to start," he added with a trace of slight bitterness which he managed to direct somewhere other than Ang.

"Say, Ang, you never did tell us what exactly it was that the merger itself meant."

Ang sighed, and looked at Biiru.  Her eyes were showing a mixture of confusion, anger, and a little bit of acceptance.  Inuyasha felt himself grow apprehensive.  What was so special about this merger that Ang was so upset about it?  She hadn't seemed phased by the rest of this stuff, and even if coming into a new time wasn't important to her, she should have been a little bit afraid.  After all, being plunged into feudal Japan was kind of significant.

She sighed.  "Well. . .a merger between gods is different from a merger of mortals.  Two kingdoms make mergers differently than the dogs would, for instance.  Two gods never make mergers between themselves.  No merger between gods are permanent, because there may be a reason to break the merger.  They make their unions with their Priests or Priestesses.  The merger can be different in different situations.  For instant, same gender mergers are different from opposite gender.  The same gender. . .well, it's a scientific genetic experiment, and I sincerely _doubt that any of you-except Biiru-know what it is.  They have to have their genes combined into one child, and then the youngest one deals with the child.  That way the child has the powers of both the Priests."_

Megan and Miroku looked at each other, and then back at Angela, and said at the same time-comically- "What?  Genes?"

She sighed.  "Don't bother trying to understand.  Genes won't be discovered for centuries from now.  Like I said, it's different.  The two Priests of the gods need to have a combination of their genes in order for the powers to be passed on.  So, in the case of opposite genders, then. . .well, if a guy and a girl need to have a child to combine genes…"

Megan nodded.  "Oh.  I see."

Ang nodded.  "Yeah."

Biiru sighed.  "You know if there was a merger, I wouldn't abandon you.  It'd be against my beliefs."

"Biiru. . ." She was exasperated with him.  He was nice, he was supportive. . .he always had been.  He was-in a nutshell-everything that every girl was supposed to want.  But, he never seemed special to her.  He was just another guy.  One she didn't even like that much.  Her gaze hardened slightly.  _If he doesn't do something to change my mind about him, them I'm not going to agree!  I know how important it is to Shi, but. . .it's not worth it.  I won't deal with it._

There was a noise from a tree.  The whole troop looked at the place the wind had come from, only to see the tree branch swaying slightly in the wind.  They shrugged, dismissing it as a high wind.

Angela kept staring at it, though.  She noticed one long, sliver strand of hair fluttering gently in the slight breeze.  Her gaze softened, and a soft smile fell across her face.  _So.__ . .Inuyasha.  You did__ come to help, huh?  That was. . .nice of you._

_I wonder. . .is that what you're really like?  Underneath that hate you've expressed towards me, is there something else?  Do you hate me as much as you act?  You acted like you hated Kagome, but I know that wasn't the way you felt about her.  What are you hiding inside yourself, Inuyasha?_

"Inuyasha. . ."

~*~

Megan: Our _next selected victim for torture-I mean interview-is going to be-_

Author: Megan. . .I wasn't mean to you!

Megan: I don't like trees!  Especially _being one!_

Author: . . .Point.  Get on with it!  **_-Any Monty Python fans out there?-_**

Megan: Anyway, I don't know who it is, so it was a good idea for you to interrupt me.  Who is it?

Author: *mutters* I need to get better help.  Maybe I should consider _paying them. . ._

Megan: *even though she is not visible, being an announcer, she perks*

Author: Of course, Megan, I have no intention of paying you.

Megan: *scowls* You know, you never call me Meg.

Author: *blinks* What?

Megan: Look!  Never once am I called Meg!

Author: Oh.  Because, I have an autocorrect on my Word program.  Whenever I type "meg," it corrects it to Megan.

Megan: . . .Why?

Author: Because, I am a lazy bum, and it's easer to be lazy.

Megan: Oh.

Author: Anyhow, our torture subject is. . .Miroku!

Megan: Oh, poor Miroku!

Author: *sweatdrop* I'll turn you into a tree again. . .you're supposed to announce the subject, announce the end, and then be silent the rest of the time!

Megan: Oh, did they hurt you, Miroku?

Author: . . .you realize, Miroku isn't here yet.

Megan: Oh.  Did you hurt him?

Author: Actually, no.  When he fell through Inuyasha's window last time I interviewed you, he was knocked unconscious, and therefore was easy prey.  However, he is _still unconscious, so I guess we'll have to interview him. . .later!_

Megan: . . .You've still got a few seconds left.

Author: Fine.  Roll the footage of his capture!

Megan: *sweatdrop* Uh. . .okay. . .

*a large screen appears from somewhere.  On it, there is a Blair-Witch like cameraman, who is obviously not being paid much for this.  You can see a broken window, with a black form that must be Miroku lying in the glass shards.  You can see Inuyasha's foot.*

Inuyasha: . . .Hey, how long is it going to be to get him out of here?

Author: Shut up.  Anyhow, here we are, stalking the rare and elusive wild Miroku. . . **_-Any one who knows me, that's an inside joke.-_**

Inuyasha: He's not rare.  Go to any bar with girls, and you'll probably find him.  And if he were _wild, then would he-_

Author: *glare* I told you to shut up!

Inuyasha: But you won't turn me into a tree.

Author: . . .What makes you say that?

Inuyasha: Because you think my ears are too cute.

Author: Irk. . .ah, ha. . .okay, so you have adorable ears!  *glomps Inuyasha in order to play with his ears*

Inuyasha: . . .Bad author. . .down, bad author!

*Inuyasha turns into a West Highland white terrier.  They are adorable little doggies, and they have the exact same ears as him.  They have the white pointy ears, and they are soft, and I bet Inuyasha's ears feel the same way. . .the author has one, if you're wondering*

Inuyasha: *barks*

Author: *smiles, continues to play with his ears* Oh, look, he's so cute. . .Miroku isn't going anywhere. . .I think I'll just play with the ears for a while. . . **_-Ears!  Come here, Ears!-_**

*the screen is cut short, and you see only blackness, as you hear people running away.  You hear someone stop next to you*

Megan: And, after this commercial break-ah!  Run away!

~*~

Yes, I hate my grandparents.


	6. Out of Reach

I know; this is the third chapter I've written at my grandparents.  And my stomach was killing me while I wrote it, so it's short, too!  That means you can take time out of your busy schedule to read it, because it's only half as long as some of the chapters.  But, I'd APPRECIATE it if you would review it…do you hate me?  Tell me.

Inuyasha doesn't belong to me.  You want me to say something funny?__

~*~

_Pa-link._

The stone sank quickly.  Inuyasha scowled.  _Fifth rock in a row that wouldn't skip.  What's with these rocks?  He picked up another relatively smooth and flat rock, and with a flick of his wrist, sent it skipping across the lake.  The sight of the rock, getting a good ten skips before sinking, didn't manage to alleviate his mood, though._

Inuyasha had always skipped stone when he was frustrated.  Smashing rocks and getting them to skip across the water had always been relaxing for him, because he could remember having done it with his mother when he was young.  Before she had died.  His mother had enjoyed skipping rocks, and seeing her so happy had always relaxed him.  The feeling still remained when he skipped the rocks, even though she wasn't with him anymore.

He frowned.  He didn't get it.  He didn't even _know that girl too well, and her situation was upsetting him enough that the usual feeling he got from skipping the rocks wasn't coming.  Instead of calming down, he was just thinking about the situation.  Biiru was definitely a kind person.  Nicer than __he could ever be.  He constantly gave her compliments, but not too often.  He knew __exactly how to act._

He was bothering Miroku, because Megan had, at first, been rather flirty with him.  Miroku had always been that way with Sango, getting jealous whenever she even dared to talk to another guy.  Of course, he had hid it from Sango, and taken it all out on Inuyasha, spending up to ten minutes ranting about it.  Of course, Sango would always have a reason that had nothing to do with what Miroku ranted about, but he didn't seem to accept that.

Biiru had nicely-but firmly-told Megan he wasn't interested in her.  She didn't seem to care at all, and Inuyasha had caught her whispering to Angela-which he could hear from fifty feet away-that her "attempts to distract him," had failed.  So she wasn't interested in him at all.  She merely was trying to help Ang.

But Miroku had still complained about it.  Bitched and bitched about it until Inuyasha just couldn't _take it anymore.  He had left the small town, and come to try to calm himself with the rock-skipping.  Which was failing._

He snarled.  _Damn girl!  Even when I'm not there, she's so eminent that I can't get her out of my head!  His snarl softened into a thoughtful frown.  __She reminds me of Kikyo.  Not the way Kagome does.  Kagome looks like her, and even if she doesn't know it, sometimes she acts the way Kikyo did before…before the Shikon jewel got caught in this.  Before her spirit began to wander the world, looking for me.  The Kikyo that I…_

His snarled returned.  _No.  What's gone is gone!  I can never have Kikyo back unless I agree to let her soul drag me to hell!  And…although, maybe that's what I want, it's not what I want as long as I could have Kagome or-_

He blinked in confusion, all earlier signs of the anger in his face gone.  _Where did that__ come from?  Kagome hates me.  I think.  And Angela…well, I don't know.  She hasn't really…been reacting to me at all the past week.  No matter what I do, it's like I don't exist.  But I've caught her eyes when I'm saying something to her, or about her.  She's been hurt from something__.  Either from Biiru being her, or something I did…must be Biiru. All I've done is mutter threats about the Shikon shard, and…and tell her that if Biiru bothers her so much, to make him go away._

He sighed.  It was too confusing to deal with.  To him, losing Kikyo was still a fresh wound.  Yes, it had been fifty years to the rest of the world, but he had slept.  Time had stood still for him.  To him, no time had passed.  The girl he had _loved had sealed him, and then he was awoken by her re-incarnation.  It had been a bitter blow from life._

If Kagome had at least _tried to be nicer to him, to not sit him so often, and treat him like something other than a dog, than he would have been fine.  But Kagome had been almost scared of him, and had abused the power of the rosary to humiliate him.  She had acted nothing like Kikyo, who had been gentle and caring towards him, after he stopped mercilessly attacking the Shikon shard._

_After all, Kikyo…we're the same, aren't we?_

She had said that, once.  That they were really the same people.  Both lost and alone.  He swallowed another lump in his throat.  "Guess we were the same, Kikyo…damn it, why do I have to miss you so _much?"_

He could feel the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.  _No!  I don't__ cry!  I didn't cry when I heard Kikyo chose death over life, and I won't cry now because of that.  I don't cry…_

But all the same, he could feel the tears in his eyes.

Furious with himself, he dunked his head in the lake, in one fluid motion.  When he pulled it back out, he took a deep breath.  The shock of the cold water was definitely enough to jolt the tears right out of his eyes.  Of course, the water was also cold enough to have given him a cold if he had been a human.

He sat back down, his wet hair dripping water all over his dry cloak.  _Well, it'll be wet soon enough.  He shook his head, unconsciously acting just like a dog would.  Although he didn't really dry off, it did get rid of some of the water that had been dripping into his eyes.  __So, what am I going to do?  Obviously, all this un-action is making me emotional.  So, we've got to do something__.  I don't even care what, but if I have to spend one more day with these people, I'll go crazy.  And all I want is to…_

He stood up, suddenly deciding what it wanted.  "I'll get Kagome.  She can come with me on a shard hunt."

He turned, and began walking to the well.  _It'll be something to do.  Maybe I can convince Kagome to stop hating me.  And…I don't know.  But Angela is weighting on my mind too much.  Being with someone else would be better._

_The way she's been looking at me…I could start thinking she liked__ me if I wasn't careful.  And if Shi tells her that she has to merge with Biiru, then she'll…she'd do it.  She'd absolutely do it.  She loves Shi too much to refuse to do anything she asked.  It's best for her if she gets used to the idea.  Better if she doesn't hope for anything between us._

_Better for me._

~*~

"Biiru…" Ang sighed.  "Look, if Shi and Issey haven't made a deal yet, then there is no need for you to be hanging around.  So, if you don't mind…"

"You know all that's stopping them right now is basically the fine print."

"…That really doesn't mean that you have to hang around.  The deal could fall through.  And if it does, then I'm not staying with you."

Biiru smiled a little.  "Well, I suggest you give me a chance.  Because, Issey and Shi have been working on a deal for…well, he said that they're tried to make a deal in the past, but it hadn't worked because of certain problems with the two Priests, because…well, at the time, they were both male, and the one had instable genes that couldn't be duplicated."

Ang's face managed to stay neutral.  "How sad.  Now _I have to put up with the result?"_

Biiru nodded.  "Of course, you could always tell Shi you won't do it…"

"You know I won't do that."

"Well, if it's that important to you, you could.  You've always said Shi is kind and merciful…"

Ang gulped.  Shi _was unusually kind for a goddess.  Most gods were rather cruel at times to their Priests, since it was an honor to be allowed to be a Priest in the first place.  Shi had always been nice to Angela, but she had never actually opposed her openly.  Refusing to be with Biiru wouldn't be taken well by the black goddess.  If she said she won't do it…Shi could either force her to, or, if she didn't want to force her, Shi could remove all of her Priestess powers, and let her resume life as a normal mortal, exactly the way she was now._

She shook her head.  "I'd need a better reason than not liking you to go against My Lady's word."

Biiru shrugged.  "Well, if that's what you want…"

"I didn't say I wanted it!"

Megan stirred her soup around with her spoon.  Almost every time Biiru brought up the subject of the merger, Ang got angry and started only denying whatever he said, and saying she couldn't stand him.  She, personally, thought Biiru was nice, and would have been fine with him…if it wasn't for Miroku.  The thought of the monk drew a faint smile to her lips, even as she had to listen to Biiru try to calm Ang down.

Miroku had been weird, too.  Megan could understand that, since she had been trying to get Biiru to stop following Ang by trying to get his attention in the best way she could think of-by flirting with him.  It hadn't worked, though, because Biiru was too attracted to her.  _Don't know why__.  If some guy kept pushing me away, I wouldn't like him. Or if I did, I'd stop pretty quickly.  Biiru must be really patient.  And Ang is being just plain idiotic about pushing him away non-stop like this.  He isn't going to be deterred by something like this.  Why is__ she so opposed to this?_

She spooned some of the soup Kaede had made into her mouth, and looked at the two.  Biiru was trying to have a normal conversation, asking her about what she had been doing for the past few months.  Ang was answering, but with mainly two or three words at a time.  Megan sighed to herself.

_She's so stubborn.  Biiru would probably be good for her.  So why can't she just open her eyes to the idea?  She needs to get used to the idea of being with him.  He's a good guy.  He wouldn't just make sure the child would live and spilt.  He has the decency to want to marry her if he actually does this.  So what the hell__ is shutting her eyes to this?  I can't think of a single reason that's wrong with it.  Unless…_

She looked closer at Ang.  Her face would have seemed void of emotion if it wasn't for her eyes.  They were…mixed.  Anger was clear, probably directed at Biiru.  But then…there was a look of sadness in her eyes.  Like she was longing for something, and even though she missed it, it wasn't coming back.  Or maybe…someone?

_Does she already love someone?  If that look is any indication of her true__ feelings, then he obviously didn't love her.  I wonder who…she hasn't been giving anyone here looks.  So, is it someone from her time?  And if it is, why didn't she just stay in her time, where she had a chance?_

She rolled her eyes.  "No wonder guys don't get girls."

~*~

Author: Uh…today, we're going to use our imagination…

Inuyasha: Wuzzat?

Author: …You're smarter than that, baka.

Inuyasha: I'm not a cow.

Author: Nani?!  You're Japanese, you know that means idiot.  Baka.

Inuyasha: Actually, it means cow.  But it's generally accepted as idiot.

Author: …Shut up.

Inuyasha: So, why were we supposed to be using our imagination?

Author: Because, I'm too lazy to write anything funny.  Not all of us have had their blood drawn recently, making them see things…

Inuyasha: …You and your complicated future technologies!

Author: *blink* Huh?

Inuyasha: First there's the gene thing, and now there's the blood drawing thing…I can draw my own blood, damn it!

Author: Don't curse.

Inuyasha: Give me a bunch of raspberries, something white, and stand back.

Author: …Demo…Inuyasha, matte.

Inuyasha: I will not wait for you!

Author: Drawing blood in this sense means losing blood.

Inuyasha: …Why didn't you say that earlier?  Stupid all-seeing author…

Author: Be nice.

Inuyasha: Why?

Author: Because I don't think you'll enjoy being turned into a cute little puppy again.

Inuyasha: At least I bit you!

Author: …You're very luck you're cute.  **_-In case anyone is wondering-and I know you're not-I say that to my dog all the time.-_**

Inuyasha: *smirk* I knew you thought I was cute.

Author: *re-reads what she just wrote* Uh…I guess I'll delete that.

Inuyasha: Na-uh.  *grabs Author's hands and holds them behind her back* Maybe you'll _think before you write now, ne?_

Author: *blinks in surprise* I've just been scolded by a character in a story.  And no wonder my thermal visor picked up the most body heat from you.  How many freaking layers of clothes do you _have?_

Inuyasha: *blinks in confusion-yes the difference is important* Uh…just the cloak and the thing under it…

Author: Real-ly?

Inuyasha: Yes.

Author: Okay!

Inuyasha: …Acting out of my best interest, I find myself wondering-why did you want to know that?

Author: Maybe I'm going to do something sick and perverted with the information.  **_-Once again.  Anyone who knows who I am, or even my personality, knows I can't write anything sick or perverted.  I just curl up into a little ball and start shaking if I try…-_**

Inuyasha: *who has just read this vital information* Uh-huh.  What are you really going to do with it?

Author: *face gets red with annoyance* Probably nothing.  I just like annoying you.

Inuyasha: Nani?!

Author: It is fun to annoy, torture, and confuse Inuyasha…and Miroku…Megan on occasion…and Angela can be dealt with that way when there are no other available characters!

Inuyasha: *glowering* Just because she's your character…

Author: *shrug*

Inuyasha: *whining* And why is it so fun to annoy torture and confuse _me?_

Author: Well, we've written a full page of nothing.  I think it's time to go…

*a big black amoeba appears, and the Author becomes a chibi and jumps on it*

Author: Whee!

Inuyasha: _Come back here!_

*the amoeba begins to…move, and Inuyasha chases her*

Random voice: And so ends, another day…

~*~

R&R.  As always, I review whoever reviews me.  As long as I know who they are, and they have at least one story…


	7. Failure

And I have another chapter up!  It's _amazing_!  Not really, since no one's reading this fan-fic anyway.  *shrugs* But do I care?!  Hai!  But am I going to do anything about it?  Iie!  Oh well. . .well, read and enjoy.  And, if you're nice, just post a little review and say something like, "I read it."  Even that is nice to know!  ^^

Inuyasha, and are related charas and settings aren't mine.  I _DO_ own Biiru, Megan-yes, darn it, I own you-Ang, and all other original characters, including the darn plot!  So take that!

~*~

Inuyasha rolled looked to his right.  And then his left.  And then his right again.  _Damn it.  Why is it the one night I can't sleep, nothing interesting is happening?_  He would have considered rolling over, but he was sleeping in a tree.  And falling off just didn't seem appealing.  So he continued to look back and forth, wondering if half-demons could get whiplash.

"Inuyasha."

He _did_ fall off the tree.  "Wha-what are you _doing_?"  After falling off, he had quickly jumped at the person who had disturbed him, pinning him or her to the ground, claws at the throat.  Then he had identified Angela.

". . .I didn't sneak up on you.  You even _looked_ at me twice."

"I-I did?"

She nodded, and then frowned.  "What's your problem?  Usually you're good with your senses.  You sick?"

He stood back up, reluctantly letting go of her.  _I should kill her for _surprising_ me like that._  "No.  What are you going, anyway?"

". . .I'm allowed to walk, aren't I?"

Inuyasha snorted.  "I'm not denying you _that_ right.  I'm denying you the right to "walk" in the middle of the night, with a stupid pack with everything you have in it, towards the well, in the middle of the night."

"Well, why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep."

She sighed.  ". . .Well, I was leaving.  But I wasn't going to the well."

He eyed her skeptically.  "Oh?  Then where _were_ you going?"

She shrugged.  "I haven't decided yet.  It's just. . ." For a minute, it looked like she wasn't going to say anything else.  Her eyes glazed over, and she seemed hesitant to finish.  "What does it matter to you, anyway?"

"I think it's my right to know where you're going."

"And what gives you that right?"

"Huh?"

H_e looks surprised.  Did he just assume he had _rights_ to keep tabs on me, or something?_  "Do you have a right to keep tabs on me, Inuyasha?"

He shook his head, seeming a little annoyed.  "I never said that.  You're trying too hard to read in between the lines."

"What do you mean by that?"

He sighed, and looked up at the sky.  The moon had begun to wane, about halfway to being gone again.  He'd had to remember that.  "I understand you feel betrayed," he finally said.  "I don't know you that well, but it seems you don't like Biiru that much.  And Shi wants you to be with him, for a merger you don't think is even necessary.  And you've trusted Shi with almost _more_ than your life.  It makes sense you're trying to read what I'm really saying when I say anything, I guess.  But not everyone is in a conspiracy against you, and I don't think Shi wants you to be upset."

She blinked, surprised.  "That's pretty deep for you, Inuyasha."

He glared at her, out of the corner of his eye.  "So, just because I'm a half-demon means I'm stupid?"

She smiled.  "Now you're reading between the lines too much.  I just mean. . .well, you have to admit, you don't open up much.  You're pretty much a loner."

"Huh?"  His glare didn't let up.  "And who are you to judge me?  You've spent _your_ whole life killing people before they even know you're there!  At least I give people a fair warning before I slice their throats!"

She glared back at him.  "You don't understand what you're saying!  It _different_ where I come from.  Letting someone see means spells out death for me."

"Then maybe you deserved to die.  The weak die.  The strong survive to kill again.  That's the way life _works_.  Everywhere.  And if you're only strong in the shadows, Ang, someone is gonna come with a lantern.  And then what are you going to do?"

". . .What do you do, sit around and judge people?  You're damn lucky I think that stupid rosary of yours is inhumane!"

His glare softened as he looked away.  "Hn.  So now I'm a dog.  It's inhumane to put a collar that hurts a dog on it, isn't it?  Well, whatever you want to believe, I'll accept it.  But if you have to leave. . ."

"You wouldn't let me."

"I did no such thing.  Am I stopping you right now?

". . .You would.  You _need_ me to hunt down your stupid Shikon shards."  She continued to glare at his back.  He could feel her glare, almost as if it were one of her daggers.  "Well, what are you going to do once the shards are all collected?  Kick he back into my own time, the same way you did to Kagome?  Because she was worthless?"

"It's not like that!"  Inuyasha turned around, and glared at her.  The two didn't move for almost a full minute, before Inuyasha took a deep breath.

_Remember, she's right.  You _need_ her, at least for the time being.  If you didn't need her, then you'd kill her.  Right now.  She almost _wants_ to die, the way she keeps acting._  Inuyasha's eyes widened with that thought.  _She. . .wants to die?_

He smirked slightly.  "So. . .that's it, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You _want_ to die.  That's why you can out here to talk to me.  You figured if you could rile me up enough, I'd kill you.  After all, that's all I am to _you_.  Just a demon with a short temper, no more than an _idiot_.  Did I _surprise_ you when I figured out what you were thinking?  Well, let me tell you something.  To me, you're only a girl who can see shards of a jewel I want.  Kagome could do the same thing.  And ya know what?  She didn't aggravate me while I was going it.  I'm not stupid.  I thought maybe you had made an innocent comment when you said I was being deep.  Do you think I never think?  I never stop to notice what going on around me?"

She seemed surprised by his anger.  "Inuyasha. . .I-I never-"

"I don't _care_ what you never!"  Somewhere, he realized he was acting exactly like a short-tempered idiotic demon.  But he didn't care.  "Go back.  Go back to sleep.  Leave in the morning.  I don't care."

She backed away, and slowly walked away from him.  "Inuyasha. . .I'd rather die. . .than have to stay with Biiru.  Do you understand me?"  She looked him in the eye.

_Sadness. . .anger. . .despair. . .what is she planning to do now?_

She walked silently back into the home the rest were sleeping in.  Inuyasha jumped back into his tree, and settled down.  But somehow, he didn't get to sleep.  His mind was too busy, thinking.

~*~

"Morning, Ang-chan."

"Hmmm?  Oh.  Good morning, Megan."

Megan laughed.  "Why so formal?  And what's with the gloomy expression?"

She shook her head ruefully.  "Couldn't sleep last night.  I was thinking. . .Meg, what do you think of Inuyasha?"

"Inuyasha?"  Megan leaned against the doorframe she was standing in, looking down at Ang, who hadn't sat up yet.  "Well, he's a rude, uncivilized demon, I guess.  But he does care about other people.  He's been pretty nice to me, and he only hurts Miroku when he's being either a pervert or when he's just being stupid.  Why?"

". . .No reason.  You're right, though, he's not stupid.  What about Biiru?"

Meg sighed.  "Don't tell me you like one of them?"  Ang didn't react at all to the statement.

_Weird.  You'd think she'd at least say something._

". . .What do you think of him?"

"Biiru?  I honestly don't know why you hate him so much, Ang.  He's nice to you, and to everyone else.  Even to Inuyasha.  And Inuyasha isn't exactly nice to him, you know.  Whenever he's not looking, he's just glaring at him.  Like he _hates_ him!"

". . .Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Intriguing.  How are you and Miroku doing?"

"What do you mean by _that_?"

"Don't stare at him while you're eating.  It'd be less obvious."

Megan rolled her eyes.  "Well, you always look at the floor, Angela!  Honestly. . .every time I've seen you for the past week, you've been looking off into the distance, like you're waiting for something."

She smirked.  "Yeah.  I just want to fade away. . .where nobody can find me."  Megan blinked.  Ang realized the reference she had just quoted wouldn't be out for another few centuries.  "Err. . .ignore that."

". . .If you want to leave, no one is stopping you."

Megan turned around, a smile back on her face.  "Anyhow, if you want breakfast, we're waiting for you, okay?"

Ang watched her leave.  ". . .You don't get it," she whispered.  "No one does.  But I wish they would."  She sat up, and examined the end of her braid.  "Shit.  It's getting loose."

_But does it really matter?_  She frowned.  _After all, Biiru is the only one who really cares.  And I don't care what he thinks about me.  Meg and Miroku are too busy with _each other _that they would hardly notice if a tree fell next to them.  And Inuyasha. . ._ Her frown turning into a blank expression.  _He hates me.  Even if he didn't I made sure of _that_ last night.  I. . .I didn't mean to insult him.  I didn't think he's stupid.  I was serious.  He never opens up.  I thought. . .maybe I could get to know him.  We seem similar enough._

She stood up, and walked into the room where everyone else was eating.  Some kind of Japanese food.  She sat down, snapped a chopstick in half, and began to push her food around her plate, resting her head glumly in one head.

Only then did she realize no one was talking at all.  She glanced up.  Kaede, Biiru, Meg, and Miroku were all staring at her with confused expressions on their face.  Everyone except Inuyasha, who was busy chasing his food around, and then stabbing it and eating it before starting the process over again.  ". . .What?"

"Nothing," Miroku quickly said.  "Usually, instead of just not eating, you'll avoid the table totally.  It's nice to see you sitting there, at least considering eating."

She sighed.  "Don't push your luck.  I'm not hungry."

Biiru shook his head.  "I'm sure you're still _stuffed_ from the rabbit leg you ate last night.  Just the one, mind you."

". . .My eating habits are not of _your_ business."

Inuyasha snorted, not actually looking at her.  "You're going to die, you know."

"What?"

He looked up at her, meeting her frightened gaze with a calm, even stare.  "If you never eat.  Then you'll die from mal-nutrition."

". . .Well, then, what do you care?"

He resumed violently stabbing pieces of food.  "Well, truthfully, I don't care too much.  But if you die, I'll have to go and get Kagome again."

She smirked.  "I see."  She stood up, and walked outside, pushing the curtain out of the way.

"Ang?"

She paused.  "Hmmm?"

"Where are you going?"

She shrugged.  "I'll tell you when I know."  She walked out of the house, aimlessly walking.  Biiru glared at Inuyasha.

"Good going, dog-boy."

"You could call me by my real name.  It'd be polite."

Biiru snorted.  "The way you treated her was pretty polite, too.  Honestly. . .if you really hate her, then tell her to leave!  At least don't snap in her face, and expect her to be fine with it."

"She thinks I'm a stupid demon, Priest.  I honestly don't think my opinion really affects her all that much."

Megan sighed.  "Inuyasha, you've got a blind spot for her.  She doesn't think you're stupid.  She was asking me about that today.  She hasn't seemed so out of it for a while now.  I wish I could help her."

Inuyasha sighed, and stood up, managing to eat and swallow the rest of his food in the two seconds it took him.  "I'll go find her.  After all," he added with annoyance, "this is all my fault, right?"

He stepped out of the cottage, and began to follow her obvious scent.  Miroku watched him go with confusion.  "Hn.  You'd think he cared for her. . .but did you see her eyes?"  Megan shook her head.  "They were so. . .empty."

~*~

"Hn.  Should I even bother to get Kagome again for him. . .?" Ang's feet made no sound as they touched the ground, as she diligently trudged to the well.  "Inuyasha won't miss me.  Meg might be sad for a while, but she'll get over it.  Hell, maybe her and Kagome will get along.  Miroku. . .well, I doubt he minds.  I'm just a girl, and Kagome knows him better.  So maybe she doesn't get as mad when he gropes her. . .doubt it.  Inuyasha. . .well, damn him.  He obviously liked her more than he likes me.  He never says anything bad about me, but I _know_ he calls me an idiot all the time.  'Keh. . .baka. . .' He says that constantly to me."

_Face it. . .he's not an idiot to me.  _I'm_ the idiot to him._  She reached the well, and sat down on the brim of it.  _It looks so deep.  But when you jump through, it feels like you're floating.  Amazing how things can be so different from the way they look.  Like Biiru.  He looks perfect.  Everyone thinks he's perfect. . .even Megan's fooled.  But he's too controlling and he wants to be in control. . .constantly.  Always be right.  Kinda like Inuyasha. . .he's almost the opposite.  He looks so angry all the time. . .but he's not.  He just displays a front so no one bothers him.  Like me._

She stood up, and looked down into the well.  "I should leave the shards for Inuyasha. . .but Kaede said something about the Shikon jewel activating the well.  So I guess I'll have to give them to Kagome so she can get through." She jumped into the well, prepared for the blue swirls that had greeted her the first time she had gone through.

Instead, she felt a persistence pulling on her wrist.  She hadn't gotten through.  She looked back up; ready to blast whoever it was that had stopped her.  "Inuyasha?"  He growled at her, a low, back of the throat noise.  She realized his claws were digging into her skin, and blood was trickling down her arm.  "What are you doing?"

He pulled her up from the well, practically slamming her into the ground next to it.  She could feel her breath get knocked out of her body.  Despite the sudden lack of oxygen to her brain, she could still feel Inuyasha glaring at her.  "Don't-_you ever_-leave without telling one of us."

Still gasping for breath, she managed to smirk.  "Oh. . .really?  Do. . .you own. . .me now?"

Inuyasha glowered at her.  "No.  But you agreed to help us look for shards.  You don't see my abandoning you, and I'm only a worthless hanyou!  But even _I_ have some morals, girl.  Everyone else told me it was my fault you left, so I came to stop you.  I told you before, don't leave when it's my turn to watch you."

"What. . .do you mean. . .by turn?"

"I've been watching you.  You're acting stupid, Ang.  You've eaten so little for the past few days; you've gotten everyone worried.  Megan and Miroku almost had to beg Biiru to stay a few days ago, because he thinks it's his fault you're fucked up."

"It. . .is."

He didn't react to that for a moment, then gabbed her by the front of her shirt, and pulled her up to his eye level.  "He's been looking out for you.  He _cares_ about you. . .and the best thing you can say about him is that you wish he was gone?!"

She gulped.  _What's up with him?  Since when have _I _been important to him?_

"Are you listening to me?"

Inuyasha glared into her eyes.  The only thing that answered him in her eyes was emptiness.  _Damn her!  Why can't she show _some_ sign of _something_?  Instead of that blank gaze?  _He growled at her again.

"Stop it!"

He pushed her away; releasing his hold on her and pushing her at once, forgetting how much stronger he was.  She sprawled back at least five feet.  She looked at Inuyasha, with the same blank look.  "That. . .that hurt, Inuyasha."

"Huh?"  He looked down at his hand.  To his surprise, it was tinted with blood.  Her blood, from the scent.  He looked back at her, shocked to see the amount of blood coming from her wrist.  "Ku-kuso. . ."

She smiled at him.  "Don't worry.  It's not fatal. . ."

"Why are you _smiling_?"

"Inuyasha. . .do you realize that I can't die until Shi wants me to?"

"Huh?"

_I must sound like an idiot.  That's must be the second time I've said that.  What does she mean?  She can't die until Shi wants her to?_

"Come on," he said gruffly.  "Kaede can bandage that for you."

". . .What are you going to say to the others?"

"The truth."

She glanced off for a moment, and a confused look came over her face, affecting not only her eyes, where her feelings were normally limited.  "Oh. . .which truth?"

"What do you mean?  There's only one truth."

"The truth can take all different forms.  For example, the truth in your opinion is probably you accidentally pushed your nails a little too deep when you pulled me out off the well.  My opinion. . ." she smirked slightly.  ". . .Is that you failed."

". . .What do you mean?"

She sighed, and looked at him.  "Don't ask."  She started walking back to the village, letting Inuyasha trail her with distrust.  "Because you don't want to know."

~*~

Time to poke someone. . .

Author: Well, I'm on a sugar low, suddenly, and my vision is glazing over, and I'm getting dizzy.  Someone call and ambulance!

Inuyasha:  Wuzzat?

Author: . . .The thing I want you to call.

Inuyasha: I've got the feeling I'm missing something.  And how do I call it?

Author: With the telephone.

Inuyasha: Wuzzat?

Author: Damn it, get a dictionary!

Inuyasha: . . .What's that!

Author: Shut up, or I'm gonna turn you into a puppy again!

Inuyasha: *winces* That's blackmail, and mean.

Author: *sighs* You don't have to tell me I'm mean in such a roundabout way. . .

Inuyasha: I'm not.  Merely pointing it out in a strange way.

Author: . . .You're _lucky_ you're not Miroku, or you'd be dead right now.

Inuyasha: Why?

Author: Because, you're pissing me off.

Inuyasha: No, why am I still alive because I'm me and not him?

Author: Because he doesn't have the ears.

Inuyasha: No. . .but Meg said he had some invention from your time.  I think it was beaten cream. . .

Author: *laugh* You mean whipped cream?

Inuyasha: Yeah.  He was putting it on a deer, because he said you said it tasted good on food. . .

Author: *winces* That's gonna suck.  Poor Miroku.

*a loud shout is heard, followed by someone cursing and saying mean things about the author*

Author: . . .Well, I'd better be going. . .

Inuyasha: Yep.

~*~

Today's Use: 73 ". . ."

Current Record: 73, previously 52.


	8. Lifeblood

Okay, in this chapter, I went a little nuts with Japanese words.  If one's wrong-and I don't think they are. . .then tell me, ne?  But every Japanese word I put in here-even the obvious ones, like youkai and baka-I have translated for you at the bottom.  Aren't I nice?  And since I'm so nice, maybe you oughta review me!

Inuyasha _is_ mine-not yours, Megan!  _MINE_!  Ahem. . .ano. . .yosh.

Inuyasha belongs to the all-mighty goddess Rumiko Takahashi.  BOW TO HER, UNGRATEFUL BEINGS!  Sorry!  So do. . .all the other characters she owns. . .right.  Anyway, I own Biiru, Angela, the concept, the daggers, the balloon with scythes, Megan, Inuyasha's ears-no, I'm serious! ^^-and the plot. . .again.  And I own the word: blahdedadeda.  Cause who else says that?

Anyhow, I know I'm guilty of not-updated for years and years.  Read the poems.  I did those.  But I'm updating now, and that's what matters, right?  As always, reviews are nice, and the more reviews means the more of the chance I'll continue this…and then again, if you give me a negative review, I might not continue!

Ah, just review the damn thing.

~*~

Megan sighed, wrapping another bandage round Ang's immobile wrist.  "Baka[1]," she muttered again.  "Whatever possessed you to go jumping down the well?  Of _course_ Inuyasha didn't let you go!"

Ang didn't react, not surprising Megan.  The girl had been completely dead to the world since Inuyasha had basically dropped her off, snapping he was going to wash his hand off.  It had been dripping blood from the cut.  It wasn't at all deep, but the location was too dangerous for comfort.  Kaede had brusquely told her she was lucky to be alive, to which she had received a blank stare.  She had spent the next few minutes muttering how "kids these days," and "no respect for life."

"But what if I wanted to die?"

"Huh?"

Megan looked up from the bandages, staring directly into Ang's eyes.  They were full of fire, the blue shades almost burning with an unnatural shade.  "What if I wanted to die, Meg?"

Megan gulped.  Where was Kaede?  "Calm down, Ang!  You must have had some seriously bad dreams or something. . ."

Ang's eyes subdued on their own.  She looked away, still not moving her wrist, letting Megan bandage it.  "Gomen[2]."

"Don't worry so much.  Honestly. . .nayamasu, nayamasu, nayamasu[3]. . ."

"I don't worry that much.  But Shi and Jinsei[4] are getting close on an agreement, and. . .I just refuse to allow that!"

". . .Jinsei?"

"Uh-huh.  Oh, that's Issey.  I don't need to revere him and call him by some other name.  Jinsei is his real name."

"I see.  Well, I personally think if you wanted to die and you provoked Inuyasha. . .you've got a shitty jinseikan[5], then."

Ang shook her head.  "Imagine having an arranged marriage to a man you hated.  And the only way out of it was death."

Megan sighed.  "Y'know, arranged marriages aren't _that_ uncommon around here.  This is. . .what did you call it?  The 'feudal age?'  I thought those things were supposed to happen all the time."

"Does that make it any better?"

"Nope.  But it certainly jades you."

The door opened.  Biiru walked in, and sat down next to Megan, giving her a slight nod of the head.  Megan sighed silently to herself. Ang nodded her head, not looking at him.  "Kannushi[6]."

"Baka," he practically hissed at her.  She raised an eyebrow, and turned her head enough to give him a look.  "Baka," he repeated.  "You nearly got yourself killed."

"Why does everyone say that Inuyasha nearly killed me?"

"Because he did."

Ang sighed.  "Inuyasha is perfectly innocent.  That only thing he did was be used as a tool for a plan that went astray."

"So ka[7]. . .is that so?"  Ang nodded.  Biiru leaned closer to her.  "Look.  Issey and Shi are practically signing the merger as we speak."

You know, right about now I should be looking for my hakaisou[8]. . . 

Ang almost _growled_ at the man.  "I don't want to hear that.  I'll kill myself before I let myself get stuck with you for the rest of my life."

"Nesupa[9]?  Well. . .you'd best get used to the idea.  I don't want you to be too upset when it goes through and you're 'stuck with me.'  Cause that would hurt."

He stood up, and left, leaving the two girls in the room.  Megan finished the bandages, and then stood up, and left.

"Y'know," she said, pausing in the doorway, "he's a nice guy.  You're really hurting him."  She let the door close, and then walked off to find her perverted monk, who was doubtlessly thinking of ways to look up people's dresses.

Ang lowered her wrist, gently rubbing the fabric bandages.  They were soft.  _Why doesn't anyone understand?  I _hate_ Biiru.  He. . .he. . .oh, they don't know about that.  And they never will.  But the fact remains, I hate him.  I would like nothing better than to rip out his heart and force-feed him it. . ._

The door opened again.  She looked up, startled.  Inuyasha was standing in the doorframe, sword already in hand.  He glared at her.  "You wanna die, right?"

She stared at him, confused, and then nodded.  "Hai."

He nodded.  "Good.  Get your daggers, and let's go."

She stood up, gesturing to her belt, and followed him.  "Where are we going?"

"There's a youkai[10] a few miles away from here.  I don't know if there's a Shikon shard there or not, and you're coming with me to find out."

"So _that's_ my purpose in life!  Thanks for making that clear, because I just really wasn't sure!"

". . ." He stared at her.  ". . .Irrashai[11].  Now let's go!"

He sprinted off, running on his toes.  She stared at him, feeling the wind blow past her.  "Ano[12]. . ." she started running.  "Matte[13]!  I can't run that fast!  _Matte_!"

~*~

He sighed.  "You'd think weak things like humans wouldn't be so stupid."

"You'd think a certain hanyou[14] would have realized by now that not all humans can run at a speed of a hundred miles per hour."

"Keh!"

He stopped, and she slid off his back.  "So, where is this youkai?"

Abruptly, the top tree branches directly over their heads were gone.  They both blinked, and tilted their heads slowly backwards.  A large, green colored youkai with very pointy looking scythes for arms stared at them, rubbing a few trees off the end of his arm-scythe.

"Oh.  I see."

". . .Think we should move?"

"Tabun[15]."

They both turned, and ran.  The scythe landed preciously where they had been standing.  "Where would we run?"  Inuyasha glanced backwards.  "Dodge left!"  They both jumped off to the left, once again missing the scythe by inches.

"How should I know?  You're the one who _lives_ here!"

"I've been pinned to a tree for fifty years!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?  Pull a map out of my pocket?"

"Yes!  Dodge right!"

They dodged again, and kept running.  They had already run almost half of the forest, in Angela's opinion.  "Oh, for the love of-Inuyasha, guard my back!"

She stopped suddenly in the middle of the forest-the middle of the tree stumps-and pulled out each of her daggers.  Inuyasha skidded to a stop, and turned around, drawing the Tetsusaiga.  "What do you mean, guard your back?  You think I can hold something fifty times my size alone?"

"You're the son of a taiyoukai[16]!  _Figure something out_!"  Inuyasha stared at the scythe arm as it swung down at him.

"Kuso[17]. . .well, I guess there's always a good time to start praying. . ." he muttered.

He raised the Tetsusaiga, and met the scythe halfway.  The sheer force of the swing nearly knocked him backwards.  His pure strength was the only thing that kept him standing.  He smirked with a feral edge.  "Heh!  Meet that Tetsusaiga, scythe-boy!"

He glanced back at Ang.  She was kneeling on the ground, in front of her daggers, blocking them from his sight.  _Keh.  Shame she can't see. . ._ He frowned.  _What is she doing to those daggers, anyway?_

". . .shi no kyoujin[18], kuro kyoujin[19]. . ._lifeblood_. . .shi no kyoujin, kuro no kyoujin. . ."

Inuyasha's ears perked slightly at that phrase.  _What is she _doing_?_  He didn't have the time to spare to look at her, since his energy was entirely placed in guarding her back.  _Since when have I been her bodyguard?_

After several more minutes of stopping scythes and wondering if the Tetsusaiga could get dents, he felt a slight weight on his shoulder.  "Inuyasha. . ."

"Nani?"

She thrust a dagger in front of his face.  "Here.  Throw it into his left eye."

He stared at the dagger.  ". . .Since when have your daggers been black?"

"That dagger has been put under the lifeblood spell.  Are you gonna use it or not?"

Inuyasha took it, and turned around, hurling it at the thing's eye in one fluid motion.  "But you know, the stupid scythes are gonna block it. . ."

The dagger went quickly.  After all, Inuyasha could throw it harder than she could.  But, as he predicted, the thing brought its scythe up to block it.  The dagger hit it-and kept going.  Inuyasha face-vaulted.

"Na-nani?

Ang chuckled.  "Lifeblood. . .the dagger is immune to physical barriers. . ."

Inuyasha stared at her, and then back at the creature, which was shrinking rapidly, as if it was a balloon.  Being rapidly deflated.

"Demo. . .how did you cast it?"

"It's a simple spell."

He relaxed, and then chuckled slightly.  "I was worried that you'd use a powerful spell or something in an effort to kill yourself or something. . ." He turned, and started walking towards the spot the demon was shrinking towards.  "Anyway, how many shards-"

He stopped, and then turned around, sniffing.  ". . .What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Don't act stupid."  He walked back towards her, grabbing her wrists, and pulling them towards him.  He glared at her.  "Lifeblood. . .that spell, by any chance, wouldn't involve you cutting your wrists open to get blood, now, would it?"

~*~

[1] - idiot

[2] - sorry

[3] - worry

[4] - Life

[5] - view of life

[6] - Priest

[7] - really

[8] - sinful priest, perfect for Miroku, ne?

[9] - really

[10] - demon

[11] - welcome

[12] - um

[13] - wait

[14] - half-demon

[15] - probably

[16] - great demon

[17] - shit

Both of these I'm unsure of, since I'm not good at Japanese, but I'm trying!

[18] - dagger of death

[19] - black dagger

~*~

Today's Use: 39 ". . ."

Current Record: 73


	9. Upload Complete

I have written again!  And we met a new character today, who you'll have to read to meet.  Although she only gets a small part, she'll be vital in the future.  Or will she be?  Muhahahahahahaha!

Inu-kun isn't mine.  Kagome-chan isn't mine-a note; I don't hate her.  I exaggerate traits of characters every so often, usually girls, because. . .it's funny.  So don't think I hate her.  I just took advantage of her occasional mood.  Miroku-san and Kaede-baba ain't mine.  The setting isn't mine, and Japan _certainly_ ain't mine, much to my disappointment.  But I'm working on that bit.

Angela is mine, and so is Biiru.  The _CONCEPTS_ are mine, including the ideas-synonyms!  Wow!  Megan belongs to Meg, and Akira belongs to Kristen.  Any _else_ want an insert?  LOL.

~*~

". . .Of course not. . .why would I cast that dangerous of a spell?"

Inuyasha glared at her.  "Save it," he practically spat.  "I am getting _sick_ of this!  All of your self-pity, your stupid wish to die. . .go ahead!  Do it, if you're so in love with the idea!"

She looked surprised.  "Hn.  Kyoumishinshin[1]."

Inuyasha sighed.  "Come on.  I guess it's my job to get you back to Kaede, so she can fix you. . .again. . ."

"Hn."

Inuyasha glanced back at her.  She was looking at her, the familiar blank look in her eyes.  It was getting on his nerves again, but for the simple fact that it was more of a reminder of "what not to do."  The blood was still dripping down her arms, at an alarming rate.  ". . .You know," he said, turning around, "you're going to die."

She shook her head.  "As I said before, so long as I am bound to Shi, I am not free.  I can't die until she wants to let me.  So basically, I'm stuck with this."

"Get used to it."

"Oh, is that supposed to be sympathy?  Cause if it was, you suck."

"No, it was supposed to be a message to tell you that you don't stop acting like you are right now, no one is gonna mourn _you_ on your dying day.  You're not as bad off as you'd like to think."

"Oh, really?"

"Hai[2].  _Think_ about it!  You're 'stuck' with Biiru, and I know quite a few people would like that."  _Would Kagome like Biiru?_  "He's not nearly as bad as you've been making him out to be.  You're overreacting to a problem that isn't there.  And if you hate him that much, then why don't you abandon your miko powers or something?"

"Nani[3]?!"

He glanced at her.  "You don't use them too often, do you?"

She glared at him.  "Let's just go back."

"I thought you weren't worried?"

"Worried?  Iie[4].  I just don't want to deal with you right now.  I seriously don't need your sarcastic comments."

Inuyasha winced to himself.  That hurt. . .a little.  "Well, excuuuuuuuse me.  I didn't know you were so very sensitive."  He gave her one last glance.  "Walk yourself back.  I have somewhere to go."

She watched him go, and then lowered her gaze.  She held each hand over the other wrist, allowing a gray aura to emerge, closing the cuts in her wrists.  "So. . .you're going to get Kagome.  About time you thought about that. . ."

~*~

Akira sighed angrily.  She touched the delicate spot on top of her head once more, scowling at the memory of the red-clad hanyou knocking the branch off the tree.  Of course, he hadn't noticed, much less apologized.

She had been walking randomly in the woods for about three days.  She had lost track, because she had gotten caught up in trying to perfect the art of walking while sleeping and not hitting trees.  She had been about to practice some more when the idiotic hanyou[6] had hit her.

For about the seven-hundredth time, she swore vengeance against the entire race of hanyou, despite the fact she wasn't positive the boy had been a hanyou.  He had been giving off the power signature of a hanyou, but it had been above normal.  She couldn't tell if he was just powerful for a hanyou, or weak for a youkai.  Or maybe something else entirely.

"That village has to be around here somewhere. . .I turned north ten miles ago. . .or was I supposed to go south?"  She frowned.  "Oh, for Kaji's[5] sake. . .Kaji, _now _what?"

She slammed her hand into the nearest tree.  The thing instantly burst into flames, practically bright enough to see from the moon.  If anyone was there to see.  She didn't seem to mind, though, and kept her hand on the bark, right along the burning foliage.

The tree quickly withered into nothing, and left the girl standing there, breathing heavily.  Her red eyes seemed to match the fire that had just burnt away, and were burning fiercely enough to be holding their own fire.  The wind blew, breaking her concentration.  She frowned, brushing her sun-streaked cookie-brown hair from her eyes.  "I oughta get a ponytail holder for my hair. . ."

Her hair passed Inuyasha's by a few inches.  And was far more impressive, seeing as there were all sorts of things buried in it.  Tree branches, leaves, and what appeared to be a muskrat had made its home in her hair.  She sighed, and chased it out, pulling out the rest of the twigs.  Walking through the underbrush hadn't been exactly smart, but it had seemed to be the fastest way.

"Kaji, are you sure Shi wants me to tell her that?"

There was no answer, but she nodded anyway.  "Mmmm-hmm.  I know she hates Biiru.  But it's still a bit cruel of Shi to have to send someone else to tell.  And it's worse when _I_ have to do it. . ."

A wind blew through the remaining trees.  Akira winced.  "Gomen nasai[7].  I didn't mean to be cruel.  But. . .well, I've met her before.  You know how basically everyone knows each other.  She's. . .well; something like this could kill her.  Literally. . ."

~*~

_It's getting dark.  I can't even see that well.  I wonder if they already ate?_  Ang brushed another branch out of her way.  _It'll do me good to walk home.  I haven't had to walk very far for a while now. . .since I came here, actually._  She bit her lip.  _So Kagome's gonna be here.  Well, at least I won't have to worry about Inuyasha being mad at me.  He'll be talking with Kagome._  She gulped.  _Why does _that_ upset me?_

She continued walking; eventually reaching the small rural community that still lacked a name.  She had taken to mentally referring to it as "Kaede's place," because that seemed to be where they hung out.  She stopped right at the edge of town, and sighed.

"Kuso.  Inuyasha left the shard behind, unless he went to get it."  She shook her head.  "He really misses Kagome."

Not that it had been obvious.  But little things had accumulated, snowballing.  _And I guess I didn't help much,_ she thought, recalling his words to her.  "'No, it was supposed to be a message to tell you that you don't stop acting like you are right now, no one is gonna mourn _you_ on your dying day.'  Well, he's right about that. . ."

She padded over to Kaede's hut, and pushed open the door.  Miroku glanced up at her.  "Oh.  'Bout time you got here."

". . .Did I miss something?"

"No.  But Inuyasha went off to get Kagome."

She blinked.  "How do you know about that?"

"Biiru was looking for you, and saw Inuyasha dropping into the well.  Kagome's the only one there he knows.  Kinda obvious, ain't it?"

He picked up some more rice with his chopsticks, chewing thoughtfully.  "I'm surprised he waited so long to get her anyway.  I guess he was fine with you, but e was starting to complain about your death wish. . .you're not hurt, are you?"

"A miko[8] has her own healing powers."

"Ah.  That's good."

Another door in the hut opened.  Kaede walked out, carrying some sort of soup, with Megan and Biiru trailing behind her, starved expressions on their faces.  Kaede glanced at her.  Megan did too, surprised by her presence.  "Took her four hours. . .four hours. . ."

Biiru sighed.  "So, you're back.  How was the fight?"

"Kisama[9]. . .you have no right to know.  You don't care, anyway.  You just wanna make sure I didn't try to kill myself.  Which I didn't."  He eyed the new scars on her wrists, but didn't comment.  It was more important to him to stay alive.

"I see.  Well, I-"

He stopped suddenly, his jaw going slightly lax.  He stared at Ang like he had never seen her before.  He gulped faintly.  Angela stared at him with an equal expression, horror mingling with shock showing clearly across her whole face.

_Hn.  First time it wasn't only her face._

She took a step back, away from Biiru.  He smiled faintly.  "I-I told you it-"

"_Stay away from me_!"  She thrust her arm at him, palm totally open.  His eyes widened, and he quickly crossed his arms across his chest.  Black light reminiscent of Miroku's hellhole practically flew out of her hand, jetting directly at him.  A small white spherical shaped bubble covered his front, barely holding back the storm.  He was pushed back a few feet from the jet before it subsided, leaving both of them looking like they were going to faint.

"Calm down!"

"_No_!"

She raised her other hand, but then thought better of it, as half of Kaede's home was in ruin.  She turned, flicking her braid over her shoulder, so it narrowly missed hitting him in the face, and storming out of the hut, leaving silence in her wake.

Biiru continued to breathe heavily, uncrossing his arms and watching where she had left.  Miroku stared at him before continuing to eat.  "What happened?"

Biiru didn't looked at him, but replied in a far-off voice, ". . .The merger was completed. . ."

~*~

[1]-Interesting.

[2]-Yes.

[3]-What?

[4]-No.

[5]-Literally, fire.  She is referring to a person, however.

[6]-Half-demon.

[7]-I'm very sorry.

[8]-Shinto priestess.

[9]-Vulgar way of saying "you," basically means "you bastard."

Just in case I used a phrase you didn't know!

~*~

Today's Usage: 27 ". . ."s

Current Record: 73


	10. Akira

Well, are you happy, now, Kristen?  LOL. . .well, what can I say?  It's up!  Akira is Kristen's, Megan is Megan's, and Ang and Biiru are mine.  Notice how I own the two fighting ones?  Oh yeah, and that the little thing called a plot?  That's mine too.

Everything else in this story is yours to dissemble and put to your twisted little mind.  Oh, did I say that?

~*~

She was running.  Trees were whipping at her, and she had managed to cut herself several times from branches she hadn't sliced away with her dagger.  But she didn't care.  She didn't care at all.

_Damn him!  Damn him to hell!_  She knew Biiru wasn't following her.  He hadn't even started to chase after her.  _Damn it, Shi!  You _know_ you're just being cruel!_

"Oof!"

Ang fell to the ground, rubbing her head, her sprint disrupting.  She growled at the offending person's head.   "Abunai [1]!"

"Ang?"

She looked up at the familiar face, squinting in the darkness.  "Who's there?"

There was a laugh, which sounded relieved.  "Ang!  It's me, Akira!  You remember me, right?"

She didn't answer for a moment.  Then, she curtly snapped, "Prove it."

Akira was taken aback for a moment.  Then she glared at the space she assumed Ang was.  "You don't believe me?  Well, then, I'll _prove_ it!"  She thrust her hand at Ang, just like she had to Biiru, and watched in satisfaction as a flame jetted out, hitting. . .nothing.  "Nani [2]?"

There was a laugh from behind her.  Holding a flame in her hand, she turned around.  Ang was standing behind her, her hands on her hips, and a smirk on her face.  "Really now. . .you should have learned to light the area up before you fire by now."

Akira nearly growled at her.  "Kisama [3]!"  She thrust her hand out again, and the jet emerged once more.  Ang's eyes widened, and she quickly drew a dagger, and pushed it into the gush of oncoming fire, and twisted it, so the fire separated directly at the blade.  The flames died down after a few moments, leaving both of them gasping for breath.  Magic used in anger was taxing.

Akira raised her other arm, ready to waste more energy.  "Matte [4]!  Matte, Akira-chan [5]!"  She paused for a moment, the fire burning in her eyes not going away.  "Go-gomen [6].  Didn't think you'd kill me over something like that."

Akira lowered her hand, the fire slowly leaving.  She sighed, and then smiled.  "Gomen, Ang-chan!  What have you been up to?"

Ang crept back towards her.  Akira always had changed moods quickly.  But she was a nice person.  "Well. . .Shi and Jinsei are working on a merger. . .and of course, that means I'm with Biiru.  It really sucks."

"I heard."

She glanced at Akira.  "How?"

She rolled her eyes.  "Honestly. . .did you think I'd let myself get totally cut off from the rest of the Priestess's world?"  She smiled fat too happily.  "I get the newsletter!"  Ang stared blankly at her.  She laughed, a sweat-drop forming behind her head.  "No, I'm here because Shi wanted me to give you something. . ."

Ang frowned.  "Don't give it to me."

"Nani?"

She shook her head.  "Don't give it to me.  I don't want it."

Akira rolled her eyes.  "Shi said you wouldn't.  But. . .well, let's face it, Ang!  We don't always agree with the gods, do we?"

She shook her head again.  "This is something else.  I don't want. . ." She sighed again.  "Never mind.  What is it?"

"What's what?"

"Whatever it is you're supposed to be giving me."

"Oh.  Well, I thought you didn't want it."

Ang sighed.  "Look, scatterbrain, you gonna give it to me or not?"

Akira glared at her.  "What's your problem?  You never used to be like this.  You actually used to be _nice_, Ang.  What's wrong with you today?  It _is_ just today, right?"

Ang sighed, and gestured to the path she had torn through the woods.  "Come on.  If we get back to Kaede's hut, I'll explain it to you.  It's about a five minute run, so about a. . .ten minute walk, I guess."  They started walking down the path, Akira raising an eyebrow at the blood she could see smeared on certain branches.

"Why were you running?"

"Because.  The merger was done of the god's half, and I will _not_ agree to do my half of the bargain."

"Isn't Shi angry?"

"I don't know.  I haven't talked to her for almost a full month now."

Akira looked surprised.  "Really?"

"Yeah.  I don't think she'll be happy with me."

"Why haven't you talked to her?"

Ang bit her lip, pausing for a moment, accidentally releasing a branch, which narrowly missed her face.  ". . .Ang. . ."

"Gomen.  Has Kaji ever been angry with you before?"

She shook her head.  "Kaji is kind to me.  He got annoyed once when I accidentally lit his temple on fire, but he's too nice to ever really hurt me."

She nodded.  "Shi isn't that kind.  I've. . .upset her before.  I've stayed on her good side ever since.  I've heard stories about the Goddess of Fire. . .you know, before Kaji came.  Well, she wasn't nearly as nice as Kaji.  Her miko got her pissed one day, and she was asking for forgiveness. . .and she covered the girl's whole body in burns, and left her to die in pain."

Akira nodded bitterly.  "I know.  Kaji was a gift to everyone who knows fire."

Ang didn't comment.  "Shi is. . .oh, it's so hard to explain.  She's so nice most of the time, but every so often, she just gets angry. . ."

"Ang!  What are those scars on your wrists?"

"I used Lifeblood.  No big thing.  They'll be gone in a few days."  She gave her a clearer view of her wrists, holding them up to the moon's light.  "You know the drill.  Scars made from usage in casting disappear on the full moon."

Akira shook her head.  "None of my spells use blood.  That's kinda nasty."

"You don't use blood?  Well, I guess it makes sense.  Fire isn't related to blood.  Death is.  But anyway-"

"Ang, what are those other scars?"

"What other scars?"

Akira rolled her arm back over, and gestured to light scars that spanned her whole arm.  They looked like they had been deep cuts, which had never healed properly.

". . .Shi was angry.  When I talked to her, she. . .basically flew into a rage, and didn't think, and cut at me.  I was covered in blood from all the various cuts.  Those scars faded in weeks, but they'll never fade."

She continued walking, leaving Akira behind for a moment.  She glanced at the sky.  "Kaji?  Don't tell me. . ." She nodded.  "I thought so.  That would explain a lot."

She caught up to Ang, and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around.  She threw something in her face, which smelled remarkably like dust.  "What the hell, Akira?!"

She laughed.  "Sorry.  I couldn't resist when you left yourself so _open_."

She scowled.  "I was not open, because I trust you as a friend."

"You trust me as a friend, now?"

"Why do you think I didn't attack you before?  I don't hurt friends."

Akira shrugged.  "How much farther?"

"Two minutes.  I dunno if Kaede has another room, though. . .you'll have to work on your own though.  And just to warn you, I've got a posse."

She raised an eyebrow.  "Do you, now?"

"No.  I'm traveling with a group of people who have a common goal.  I'm just a means to the end for most of them."

"Well, who are they?"

"A priest-regular-named Miroku, and I've heard him called a leech a few times. . .dunno what they mean, though."  Akira sighed to herself.  Ang had the record on being naïve.  "Then there's Megan, who likes him, and even though he might like her, they're stupid and won't talk.  She's a fourth cat demon. . .dunno what good it does her, though.  Then there's Inuyasha. . ."

_What do I say about _him_?_

". . .Who's basically an uncivilized punk with a sword and power.  He's a doggie hanyou."

Akira looked up, fire burning in her eyes.  "Does he wear red?"

"Hmmm?  Yeah."  She glanced back at her, and saw the anger in her eyes.  "Meet him already?"

"He knocked a branch on my head."

She nodded.  "Yep," she said, resuming to walk, "that'd be him.  Anyway. . .here we are," she said, pushing aside a branch and letting her walk through the clearing.  "Welcome to feudal Japan, and your everyday village."

"It's so. . .quaint."

"I'm sure you mean, 'this really sucks.'  But I'll ignore that."  They both laughed.  "Come on.  Inuyasha went off. . ."

"Where?"

She sighed.  "To get Kagome.  The reincarnation of the girl be both loved and who pinned him to a tree."  She chuckled at Akira's face.  "Come on, I'll explain it to you.  Have you eaten yet?"

"Do they have Hostess?"

Ang gave her a withering look.  "We're in the Warring States era.  Hostess won't be invented for years now.  But they have Ramen."

"Yoshi[7]!  Ramen!"  The two walked off, making a strange sight.  The genki[8] Akira listened to her friend the bokunenjin[9] explain the known story of Inuyasha.  Adding, of course, her own versions every so often.

~*~

[1]- watch out

[2]- what

[3]- once again, a rude way to say you, "you bastard"

[4]- wait

[5]- friend

[6]- sorry

[7]- all right

[8]- energetic

[9]- quiet unsociable person

~*~

Today's Usage: 29 ". . ."

Current Record: 73


	11. Gomen?

I'm too lazy to translate today.  It's really annoying.  Aren't I nice? ^^ Anyhow, this chapter was written for the exclusive purpose of silencing Kristen for another week, so although stuff happens, it ain't much.  I'll do a _good_ chapter next time, I swear!

Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome, Kaede, and setting are Rumiko's.  I won't steal them. . .

Everything else is MINE!  You hear that?!  Mine-mine-mine!  So, no stealing. . .or I'll sic my kender friends on you.

~*~

"The moon really sucks."  Inuyasha growled to himself, and looked around the room.  "Of all nights to be stuck as a human. . ." Of course, nothing was exactly wrong with the night, but it'd be interesting to see Kagome.  She had only seen him as a human a few times.  She seemed to find his new hair color interesting.

He walked around the hair once, looking for an entrance.  Finally, he found the front door, which was hidden cleverly by the lack of a light.  He knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.  It would have been very practical to have knocked the door over, but he currently didn't have the excess strength to knock over the door.  It would have hurt more, too, since his human form wasn't as strong.

Finally, he felt heard with his weak hearing someone coming to the door.  He stepped back, and let the door open, before coming face to face with-

Air.

He blinked.  "Nani?"

He heard a slight gasp, and someone pulling on the leg of his pants.  "Inuyasha!  Did you come to play video games with me today?"

"Kid, you realize it's late?  Why aren't you sleeping?"

"We don't go to sleep at six here.  Why did you come here, then?"

"I need to talk to Kagome."

"Kagome?  She's working on schoolwork right now.  She finally can catch up on all the stuff she was behind on, because of all the jewel shards you made her look for.  At least, that's what she said after she was done being upset."

Inuyasha looked surprised.  "Really?  She was upset?"

Souta nodded.  "Mmm-hmm.  She was really angry that you pushed her down the well like that.  She was walking around for almost a week just muttering 'sit,' but she stopped.  After that, she was-"

"Souta!  Who are you talking to?"

Inuyasha looked up, surprised by how easily Kagome had gotten past his senses.  _Has she really become that friendly to me?_  "Kagome. . ."

"Inuyasha. . ." She seemed very surprised to see him there, almost happy.  Then her resolve stiffened.  "Come on, Souta.  You shouldn't talk to strangers."

"But you know him!"

"That doesn't mean he's not a stranger to me."

"Kagome. . .matte!  I need to ask you a question. . ."

"I don't want to hear it."

She pulled Souta back, and slammed the door.  Inuyasha thrust his hand directly into the door.  He winced as his painfully closed, since even his weak human hand couldn't be beaten by something as weak as a door.  She caught Kagome's wince, but her face tightened again.

"I don't want to hear any excuses you've come up with as to why you got rid of me like that.  But if you wanted to then, I'm certain that's how you feel now.  So stay away!"

"I _want you to come back!  I came to ask!"_

She looked seriously surprised, and nudged the door open, pushing her brother down the hall, muttering something about ice.  He ran off, with a surprised look.  No doubt wondering why he hadn't bashed the door in like he had last time.  She looked at him, having to look slightly up.  "You really did?"

He nodded.  "I. . .I just wanted you to come back."

"What about that other girl?  Angela?"

"She's driving me crazy.  She has more issues than Kikyo. . .and Kikyo doesn't have a death wish, either."

"Here, sis."

"Arigato, dai."  Kagome took the ice, and handed it to Inuyasha, who blinked in surprise.

"Why are you giving me a cold bag?"

"It's ice.  You know, the stuff you put on stuff when you hurt it?"

"Oh."

He rested it on his hand, making only a slight twinge as the glacial bag touched his hand, which looked like it had taken more than it should have.  _That's right. . .I don't think they had ice back then._  "So. . .you came back to ask me to come with you?"

He nodded.  "Yeah."

She stared off into the space past his left shoulder.  ". . .You hurt me when you pushed me down the well."

"Did you break something?"

She shook her head.  "Not that way.  I was troubled you could just push he away that easily, like you didn't even care.  As if I were that annoying to you."

"I. . .I guess I didn't mean it that way. . ."

She glared at him.  "What do you mean, you _guess_?"

"I, uh. . .uh, heh-heh. . .it was dangerous for you to stay there the way you were.  Of course, the fact you were dragging me around making me look for hot springs didn't help. . ."

"So you were angry about hot springs and you pushed me down a well?"

He winced.  _That does sound pretty lame._  "No. . ."

She shook her head.  "Whatever, Inuyasha.  You're horrible at expressing how you're feeling. . .so I'll forgive you.  Just this _once_."  Inuyasha smiled. "And if you screw up again, I'm gone."  The smile faded pretty quickly.

"Yosh."

"Well, I'm not ready to go back tonight.  I have to pack some stuff.  You can wait for me tomorrow, if you want.  I'll be there later in the afternoon.  I have school."

"Keh.  You think I'm an idiot?  I'll get killed if a demon comes looking for me tonight.  It's safer in your time."  He mentally smacked himself.  "You don't care if I stay here for the night, anyway."

She sighed.  "The better way to do that would be to ask if you could stay until tomorrow."

"Whatever."

She rolled her eyes.  "Fine.  You get the couch."

He didn't react to that comment, but followed her when she walked into the house, remembering to shut the door.  Last time he had forgotten that, she had been seriously pissed at him.  She led him to a soft lumpy object, and pointed at it.  "Here."

". . .Ok. . ."

"We haven't eaten dinner yet, so I guess you'll be eating with us tonight.  You didn't eat yet, right?"  He shook his head.  "Good.  I have homework."  She turned and began walking upstairs.  He watched her.

_Great.  Now what do I do?_

She turned around, and realized he would have nothing to do.  Knowing Inuyasha, he'd probably find someway to accidentally destroy the house while trying to destroy something, like her alarm clock.  "You can come, if you want.  We can talk or something."

He nodded, and followed her up the stairs.

~*~

"Oy, Ang. . ."

"Hai?"

"Where is that dog boy?"

"Off getting Kagome, like I said."

"Ah."  She stirred her soup, staring at it with a bit of annoyance.  It wasn't Ramen.  Akira wanted Ramen.  Where was the promised Ramen?  She glared at her friend with a slightly angry look.  Ang sighed.

"Kagome will probably bring some Ramen with her, Akira.  It seems that Inuyasha ate the last packet of it."

She glowered at the bowl of soup, picking up some noodles with her chopsticks.  _Darn hanyou!  I will get revenge on him if it takes all my energy!_

Ang rolled her eyes, and stirred her soup with her chopsticks.  "Akira. . .I seriously doubt he knew he dropped a tree branch on your head, and I also seriously doubt he knew anyone else even knew he had a store of Ramen."

"I'll still burn him."

"Don't." She didn't say anything else, but continued to stir the food, before finally putting it down.

Megan, Kaede, and Biiru sighed, before simultaneously taking a sip of their soup.  Miroku and Akira, perfectly in time, slammed down their soup-spilling a little-and pointed an accusing finger at Ang.  "_Eat something_!"

They looked at in other in surprise, everyone else wondering if they were crazy.  "Excuse me, Priestess Akira.  I did not mean to interrupt you."

"What are you so formal about?"

"I don't want to frighten you. . ."

Megan groaned.  "That means he was planning on asking you to bear his child and wanted to see if you'd bean him first."

Akira's eyes lit on fire.  "Oh, really?!"

Miroku gulped.  "Um, please excuse my friend, she is a bit crazy on occasion. . ."

"Hentai!"  She pulled back her arm, prepared to blast another fireball at Miroku.

"No!  My home can't take much more of this. . ."

"Akira."

"Huh?"  Akira looked behind her, and saw Ang holding back her arm so she couldn't lose the fireball.  It burnt out, denied its chance to wreck chaos.  "What was that for?"

She didn't reply for a moment.  Then she sighed.  "What did you blow in my face?"

Akira blinked, getting slightly red.  "Ano. . .nothing. . ."

"Kaji told you to, right?"  Akira nodded.  "Because Shi wanted you to do it?"  She nodded again.  Ang sighed, and closed her eyes.  "Shi. . .I understand. . ."

She released her arm, and stood up.  "Where are you going?"

She glanced at Megan.  "Don't worry. . .I'll be fine."

Biiru closed his eyes, and shook his head.  "How long have you been delaying?"

"About two weeks. . ."

"She's gonna kill you."

"I know."

~*~

Today's Usage: 33 ". . ."s

The Record: 73


	12. PopTart Tragedy

Okay!  It's being posted _early_!  Wow!  And it's a little longer that usual. . .not much, but a little.  I'll say nothing about it, but I will tell you-I'm trying to fix what I did to Kagome.  So she's gonna be different.  Tell me what you think!

~*~

"What are you two talking about?"

"Mine your own business."

Megan sighed.  Biiru and Akira had been sitting in a corner talking in low voices for over an hour now, worry evident on both of their faces.  Kaede had convinced Miroku that it was his job to clean the hut up after it had been wrecked.  Megan had pointed out that Kaede had hit behind her, so she was safe from the dangers of cleaning.

Akira shook her head.  "Biiru, why the hell didn't you _tell her to go talk to her if she didn't do it?"_

"Because, she hates me."

Akira frowned.  "I could see that from earlier. . .she was explaining it for me.  But I don't understand why.  What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything!  She just hates me. . ."

Akira shook her head, muttering something about alternate personalities, and looking as if she was considering lighting something else on fire.  Biiru sighed.  "Akira, Kaede can't risk another injury to her taxes."

"Do they have taxes in this point of time?  They don't have Hostess, and they obviously don't have Ramen. . ."

"I don't know!  What is with your obsession with those foods, anyway?"

"They taste good.  And they need to invent it, because I'm hungry."

"You just ate."

"So?"

Biiru sighed, and glanced out the windows in the direction that Ang had left.  Akira sighed, and got up, deciding to help Miroku with his cleaning.  A miko could be very helpful when it came to cleaning.  And when they were very hyper, they had even more power!

Biiru continued to stare at where she had left.  The others couldn't see, but there was an aura of life extending from everyone.  Ang could see auras of death from people.  He had kept track of where she had gone, and he could feel her life force altering in ways that were certainly _not normal._

Ang had the most unique aura he had ever seen.  Priestesses had different signatures from other people, but hers was different from even a normal Priestess.  Her own life signature was incredibly weak, as if was coming from a nearly dead person.

However, there was another force covering the emptiness.  One that was quite obviously a god's.  Shi had been keeping her alive, Biiru had realized.  He could have given part of his aura to her, but at the current time, he was afraid she wouldn't accept it.  He winced as he watched another flare in her aura rise and fall, taking more with it than she had previously.  _She's losing her own life aura.  What the hell is going on there?_

Finally, the flares stopped, and Biiru sensed the other force-Shi-leave, taking much more than her own life force.  Biiru's eyes widened in shock.  He couldn't feel any life coming from where he knew Ang was.  He tried to stand up to help her.

He couldn't.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he tried again.  He felt the normally soothing presence of Jinsei.  "Calm down, Biiru.  Let Shi deal with the rebellious Priestess.  She'll get it sorted out."

"If she doesn't kill her. . ."

"There are other Priestess with equal or more power.  Ones that aren't mainly dead, too."

Biiru growled to himself.  He couldn't feel Ang at all.  He gulped, and kept his eyes glued to the window, watching.

~*~

"Inuyasha!"

"Hn."  He could feel a shaking on his left shoulder.  _Nani?_  He started awake, about to behead whoever it was that was shaking him.

His claws landed neatly at her neck, before breaking the surface, and paused.  He sighed, and removed his claws from Kagome's neck.  "Don't touch me when I'm waking up.  It's dangerous."

Kagome nodded.  "Gomen.  I didn't realize you slept so lightly."

He snorted.  "Heh.  Youkai sleep very lightly naturally."

"But you're a hanyou."

"Eh!"  He half-heartedly glared at her.  He couldn't stand being reminded he wasn't full demon.  His brother just _loved_ to taunt him about it. . .

"You ready to go back, Kagome?"

She looked surprised.  "Well, I'd like to eat breakfast first.  After all, we 'weak humans' need more supplies than you demons."

"Okay. . .what do you eat for breakfast around here?"  Inuyasha couldn't see Kagome going out and killing some game for breakfast. . .she got mad when he did, so he wondered if she ate breakfast when she was at home.  He secretly doubted it, even when she brought those "bagels," and "cream cheese. . ."

He propped himself up on his elbow, and watched Kagome go into the kitchen, and open up random cabinets, muttering something about cereal.  Inuyasha felt himself wanting to sleepily close his eyes.  _Damn, it's too relaxing here. . ._

Suddenly, his whole body tensed.

His ears perked.

His shot over to Kagome, and leaned over her shoulder, staring at the thing she held in her hand.

Kagome looked at her with surprise.  "Eh?  Oh, Inuyasha, what do you. . .?" She looked back at the packet of Ramen in her hand, and sighed.  "Oh.  Of course."

"You eat _Ramen_ for breakfast?"  Suddenly, it all made sense.  Why bother killing game for breakfast when you could eat Ramen?  Why bother with lunch?  Or dinner?  He stared hungrily at it.

"Inuyasha, we don't eat Ramen for breakfast.  We eat it for lunch.  Dinner when we don't have _any time. . ."_

Inuyasha's ears drooped.  So close to perfection. . . "Oh."

Kagome sighed.  "I'll bring some with me.  We can have it for lunch, maybe. . ." Inuyasha smiled.  She rolled her eyes.  "You're overly addicted to this stuff."

He shrugged, and sat down at the table.  It smelled so good. . .too bad he'd have to wait.  He made a mental note to himself about the location of the Ramen.  He'd come back when he ran out of Ramen again.

Kagome ended up getting one of those bagel things.  Inuyasha reminded her that they could be used in more effective ways, and Kagome heatedly replied that although the hole was big enough to cover her jar of Shikon shards, they were _not effective armor.  And besides, they tasted good._

Inuyasha shrugged, and leaned back on his chair.  He'd eventually convince her.  "Oh, are you hungry?"

He blinked.  "Where did you get _that_ idea?"

"Your stomach just rumbled loudly enough to wake my grandfather up."

He blinked, getting slightly red.  "Oh.  I guess I am. . ."

Thinking about it, he most certainly was hungry.  He hadn't really eaten for almost a day now.  First he had been too angry with the whole town to eat, there had been that demon Ang and him and taken out, and then he came here, and slept.  Kagome looked around.

_I don't feel like making another bagel, and knowing Inuyasha, he'll do _something _with it.  So. . . She looked at her counter, and saw a perfectly placed raspberry Pop-Tart box.  She shrugged, and opened it, putting one in the toaster.  Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy.  She sighed.  "Just watch."  _Hmm. . .I wonder if he's ever had raspberry before?__

Inuyasha stared at her.  She felt her face get a little hot.  "The _toaster_, baka!"

He turned his gaze to the toaster, ears perking very interestingly as it emitted different noises.  Kagome thought wistfully about how soft they felt, and how cute they were. . .

She mentally smacked herself.  What was she thinking about?  _Nothing_ about that crazed demon was cute, she reminded herself.  _Except the ears. . ._

"Kagome, nothing is happening."

"A watched pot doesn't boil."

"Nani?"  He turned his head to look at her with confusion.  Then, all chaos broke loose.

The pop-tart flew out of the toaster with a little more force than Kagome had expected.  Inuyasha, not even knowing what a toaster _was, freaked out, and leapt at it, and shredded the pop-tart, and then proceeded to severely maim the toaster._

"Inuyasha, _stop_ it!"

He paused in mid-shred, and looked at her.  "That. . .that demon was attacking us with that good-smelling thing!"

Kagome started laughing.  She couldn't help it.  She was absolutely furious with the hanyou, but the situation was just too funny.  The sight of Inuyasha looking both worried and guilty with his hand partway through a dead toaster was just _funny_.  She was shaking with laughter, helplessly gesturing at him and the destroyed object.

Inuyasha gulped to himself. Was she mad?  He tried to scrape together more of the toaster, but with no luck.  It was dead. _Well, at least I killed it before it hurt anyone._  Whatever it was it had shot at him, though, it had smelled good.  It was a shame he had to kill it.  Finally, Kagome caught a hold of herself, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It's not a _demon_, Inuyasha.  It makes breakfast. . .oh well.  We'll buy a new one.  Have you ever had raspberry before?"  He nodded, confused by the sudden question. "Would you _like_ a pop-tart?"  He nodded again, assuming a "pop-tart" was whatever he had attacked.  Perhaps eating it neutralized it as well.  No wonder Kagome had adjusted to demons so well; she ate them for breakfast.

She looked at the box, and found it was empty.  He growled to herself.  _Souta. . ._ She opened a cabinet, and pulled out another box.  "Well, I'll have to give you this kind."  She looked at the toaster, and back at the pop-tart.  She handed it to him, and put the rest of the bagel in her mouth.  "They don't taste as good cold, but since you wrecked my toaster. . ."

"Gomen. . ."

"Don't worry about it. . .let's get going before my mom finds out about it."  He nodded, shoving the pop-tart in his mouth.  Kagome put the box back, noticing they weren't the same flavor, but not quite catching the actual flavor.  They ran to the well, with Kagome glanced back worriedly at the house.  _I hope that I'm gone before they notice the toaster. . ._

They walked into the well house, since Kagome couldn't run as readily with a huge backpack.  As she slid the door closed, she heard a high-pitched "Kagome!"  She winced, and glanced at Inuyasha, who looked as if his ears had just been brutally torn off.

"Who _screams_ like that?"

She was surprised by pained look on his face.  _He's part dog demon. . .so, I guess that means he's got sensitive hearing._  "My grandfather."  He looked surprised at that.  "I know.  Come on, let's go."

He nodded, and waited for her to jump through first, instinctively guarding her back.  _Keh,_ he thought.  _Since when have _I_ cared so much?_

He jumped though after her, and picked her up so they could get up faster, and jumped up without waiting for her.  She blinked in surprise, sliding off his back.  "That wasn't necessary. . ."

"Keh.  It'd taken for ten minutes to climb those vines."

"It only takes me five, _thank you_."

He shrugged.  "Come on.  Let's go see if Kaede's hut has been destroyed yet."  Kagome followed him with an almost frightening look on her face.  Inuyasha noticed it, and snorted.  "Don't worry, it's out new 'friends' that are destroying it."

She nodded.  _He doesn't sound happy. . .wonder if he really hates them all that much?_

~*~

Biiru was still staring out the window, fixating on the spot where Ang had been for the full night.  Akira had figured out that something was _wrong_ after she had been gone for over two hours, and Biiru had verified it, but said that Jinsei wanted Shi and Ang to settle it on their own turf.  Which left Biiru to mull over what was going on.

Akira frowned.  She didn't like seeing Biiru that way.  It bought back memories of what the gods had done to the three of them.  And they were memories best left alone.

She turned around, and watched Miroku carry something across the room, looking as if his back was going to break.  Akira smirked to herself.  Kaede had more stuff than some teenage girls had make-up.  She felt sorry for him.  She discreetly cast a delicate spell; making everything Kaede owned much lighter for him.

He paused for a moment, and then lifted the box with much greater ease.  He glanced at both Akira and Biiru, before smiling slightly at Akira.  She smiled back, catching Megan out of the corner of her eye, glaring at her.

Biiru suddenly stood up, his eyes a little wide.  Akira followed his gaze to the same spot he had been staring at for the whole night.  She looked at him as he slowly turned to look at her.  "Ang?"

He nodded.  "Her aura. . .it's dead. . .but she's moving."

Akira stared at him in total horror.  "She's _what_?"

~*~

Today's Usage: 32

Record: 73


	13. Blood Stains

A chapter in which something actually happens. . .wow.  Anyhow, I think this might finish itself up soon.  Who'll be happy about _that_?

~*~

Biiru nodded.  "Yeah."

Akira glared at him.  "You're the Priest of _Life_!  Go get her!"

He shook his head.  "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because, Jinsei doesn't want me to."

Akira's eyes once again glowed fire.  "You mean, that if Jinsei told you to go running and frolicking naked through Central Park, would you do it?"

He looked surprised.  "That would have no purpose, and-"

"You're missing the point, you freaking lemming!"  Akira glared at him one more time, and then turned and stomped out oh the house, her robes blowing around her legs.  Miroku watched her storm out with confusion.

"Ano. . .I thought she was _dead_."

Biiru sighed, and looked back at the window.  "Mostly dead, friend.  Mostly dead."

~*~

"Inuyasha, where are we going?"

"What are you talking about?  To Kaede's hut.  Where _else_ would we go?"

"Ano. . .why are you going in the opposite direction, then?"

"_Nani_?"  He looked around.  Sure enough, he was going the wrong direction.  He frowned to himself.  "I. . .wanted to grab a Shikon shard I forgot earlier."

Kagome sighed.  "Can't you get it later?  I mean, I know it means a lot to you and everything, but. . ." She thought for a moment.  She didn't feel like searching for a shard.  "I have Ramen!"

He nodded hungrily, and bounded away. . .and then returned a few second later, going the right way.  _What's with me?  I can't concentrate. . ._

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?"

"Keh!  Of course I'm fine.  Why?"

"Because that's the fifth-sixth tree you've just nearly missed.  I know you know this area, but you're getting pretty close to the trees. . ."

He sighed.  "Gomen.  I'm thinking."

"Ah."  They moved in silence for a moment before Kagome said, "About what?"

"Nothing much. . .just wondering if they've all planned on staying for a long time.  I'm sick of them."

"As you've said several times."

Neither said much for the rest of the trip.  Both of them were wondering what they'd do if their unwelcome guest didn't want to leave.  Neither exactly wanted to lose the town due to big balls of death or something like that.

~*~

Akira stomped into the clearing, glaring around.  "Ang!  Where the hell are you?"  She saw a slight movement a little bit out of the clearing.  She walked over to it, and then sighed.  "Damn.  What did you do, fall off a cliff?"  She looked Ang over.

There were a lot of cuts on her.  And enough blood resting nearby to fill Kaede's pot.  She gulped to herself, but didn't change her expression for Ang's sake.  The cuts didn't look too deep, except a few.  Akira was surprised she couldn't see bone in those.  "Must have been a steep cliff."

Ang looked blankly at her.  "Don't joke.  Get over here and help me."

Akira sighed.  "I'm a grand total of three feet away from you."

Ang blinked.  "Really?  I can't see you that well right now."

Akira knelt down next to her face.  There was blood seeping from two flashes on her cheeks.  Somehow, practically defying gravity, the blood had managed to get into her eyes.  They were only partially open, but focusing in and out of everything.  "Ne, Akira-chan. . .do me a favor, k?"

"What?"

"Give the shards back to Kagome for me."

Akira rolled her eyes.  Leave it to Ang to ask for something worthless.  "You'll have to do it yourself, buddy."

"Not with that much blood loss."

Akira didn't say anything.  _So she knows she should be dead._  "Biiru will heal you."

"Don't let him."

Akira glared at her.  "I'm not letting some stupid argument you two had years ago give you an excuse to die.  You'll have to try a hell of a lot harder than that."

"Akira, you know _nothing_ about why I hate the bastard."

Akira stood up, and resumed wondering how to move her.  If she moved her, she'd probably open up some of the lesser cuts that had closed.  But if she didn't move her, then Biiru couldn't come and heal her, and she'd die just as soon from blood loss.

"Damn it, where is that bastard hanyou when you need him?!"

Ang laughed weakly.  "At least I call people bastards for good reasons."

~*~

Inuyasha stopped dead.  He turned his head to the side, and sniffed.  Kagome watched him.  "Inuyasha. . .?"

"Blood."

She nodded.  "I'll come with you.  I have some first aid stuff with me."

He shook his head.  "Ang's blood.  If I can smell it from this far away, she's dead. I wouldn't worry about it."

Kagome stared at him incredulously.  "Don't you even care that she could be dead?"

He shook his head.  "Not really."

She glared at him.  "Come on.  We owe it to at least make sure she's dead."

He sighed.  "Fine.  I'll drop you off at Kaede's and bring back her dead body.  Enough of a compromise for you?"

She nodded.  _What did she do to make him hate her so much?_

He ran the last bit, almost dropping her when he skidded to a stop.  "Give me a minute."  He turned and sprinted off again, towards the blood.  As he reached the area, he had to slow down and cover his sensitive nose.  The scent of blood was thick enough for him to practically gag on.  He walked slowly into the clearing, and looked around.  Some girl wearing Priestess robes and with long brown hair was talking to what appeared to be a bloody lump on the ground.

Intriguing.

He blinked, dubious of his own eyesight, and then walked over and looked at the "bloody lump."  He recognized the braid it had.  "Ang?"

The girl looked at him, and then glared.  "You!  Hanyou!"

He looked at her with an expression of contempt.  "What?"

"I'm going to kill you!  You dropped a tree branch on my head, then you ate all of _my_ Ramen, and then you. . .take her back to Kaede's!"

He snorted.  "Don't worry.  That's what I'm here for."

She looked surprised.  "Really?"

"Yeah.  Kagome ordered me to."

"And you listened. . ."

He didn't answer to that.  He looked down at the fallen Priestess, and picked her up, practically gagging from the blood.  _Since when has blood made me feel this sick?_

He half-ran, half walked back to the hut, afraid of jarring her too much.  It wouldn't be nice, after all.  And Kagome would kill him if he dropped her or something.

He walked into the hut, and ceremonially dropped her on the ground in front of Kaede, and then mock-bowed to Kagome.  "Are you pleased, my lady?" He asked sarcastically.

She stared at Ang with little less than absolute shock.  Biiru got up and slowly walked over to her, and then looked at her.  "Damn it Ang," he said quietly, "When you ignore Shi that blatantly, what do you _expect_?"

"Heal her already, Priest."

He glared at Akira.  "I have a name, Akira.  You can call me."

"Lemming!"

He glared at Akira, and then returned his gaze to Ang.  He put a finger on her cheek, and pulled it back, looking at all the blood with an unreadable expression.  He shook his head, and then closed his eyes.  Kaede looked at Akira.  "What is he doing?"

"He's the Priest of Life.  He has the power to give life to a dead aura."

"He can bring people back to life?"

She shook her head.  "No.  If Ang was totally dead, then she'd stay that way.  But she's not.  However, with all the blood she lost, she'd die quickly if Biiru didn't give it back to her.  So that's what he's doing."

Biiru opened his eyes, and looked at her in surprise.  He looked at Akira.  "She's channeling it."

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head.  "She's channeling all the energy I give her somewhere else.  Not to her aura.  What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Akira took a deep breath.  "Calm down, first.  You're no help if you panic.  Where is she channeling to?"

The rest of the room looked at each other in confusion, all thinking the exact same thought.  _These people are weird._

"I can't tell."

"What's she channeling with?"

"She's accepting the force and then moving it."

"To where?"

"_If I knew that, I wouldn't have a problem!_"  The two glared at each other.

Quietly, Kagome whispered, "To her hand."

The whole room looked at her.  She smiled uncertainly.  "Her hand is full of energy.  She must be transferring it all to there."

Biiru and Akira turned to look at her hand.  Biiru nodded.  "Yeah.  That's where it's going.  But I can't interfere with her spell."

"Disturb her hand.  If it's. . .I believe the phrase was 'in turmoil,' then the spell has to stop."  He nodded, and shook her hand lightly.  Akira rolled her eyes.  "Christ, Biiru!  It's not a piece of glass!"

"It could open a wound. . ."

"If you broke the spell, she'd be fine."  He sighed, and shook her whole body violently.  Nothing happened.  He glared at the still girl, who looked like she wasn't breathing anymore.

"Akira, I think she stopped breathing."

"What do you want me to do about it?!  It's _your_ job to save the fucking people!"

"You're supposed to know what to do!"

"Well, I don't!"

"_Knock it off_!"  Once again, the room turned to Kagome, who looked furious.  "I honestly don't know her, but arguing isn't going to help!"

"Stay out of this!"

The two returned to their bickering, almost forgetting about Ang.  Kagome walked over, and silently picked up her hand.  "Why are you doing this?"

The result was similar to a small nova exploding in a contained area.

The spell she had been channeling with broke, sending Kagome flying backwards into Inuyasha, who happened to chose a bad vantage point.  Kaede hid behind something, morosely wondering how much damage had been caused.  Akira and Biiru continued to fight, the argument getting pretty heated.  Literally.

After a moment, Biiru stood up, and pointed outside.  Akira followed him.  Pretty soon, they heard large explosions and the smell of stuff burning.

Regardless, no one wanted to go check on them.

Ang sat up, blinking slowly.  She looked blankly at Kagome, and then back at the floor.  ". . .You can purify things?"  Kagome nodded.  She sighed.  "Then I guess I owe you my life.  I hope you'll understand if I don't thank you."

Kagome sighed to herself.  _I guess a suicidal person doesn't change with one brush with death._

She looked outside.  "Akira and Biiru will finish this town off if someone doesn't stop them.  Any takers?"

Inuyasha snorted.  "Why don't you go do it, if you're so high and mighty."

"I'd need magic I don't have.  Can you do it?"

He sighed.  But if he snapped at her again, he'd have no excuse.  So he gently moved Kagome, and walked outside.  The fighting seemed to intensify.

Ang looked at where Kaede was sitting.  "Sorry about your house.  Can you help bandage me?"

"I think you look good enough to do it yourself."

"I can barely move my head.  I doubt I'll be moving for a week."

~*~

Today's Usage: 16

Record: 73


	14. Kaji!

Okay, took my dear sweet time, but it's done.  And Akira-chan only got to annoy me once.  How sad.  Well, this is a weird chapter.  Very weird.  In fact, I don't like it.  But I like the events, because I do.  Fear my power.

Well, gonna go work on the other story.  Which should be done already.  Ah, oh well.  Enjoy. . .and it won't hurt to R&R, will it?  ^~

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.  Honestly.  Even my soul isn't mine.  I sold it awhile ago. . .now I have nothing to sell.  This sucks.  But if you touch Akira, Megan, Biiru, Ang, or this plot, my sold soul will hunt you down and eat you.  I bet you taste good.

~*~

". . ." Inuyasha watched Akira fired another fireball.  And as Biiru dodged again.  And another hut burst into flames.  "Oh.  My. God."

"You could have done _something_!"

"Why didn't you?!"

"I did!"

Another fireball.  "I wasn't allowed to do anything!"

Another dodge.  "What are you, a lemming?!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"No!"

"God!"

Another fireball.  Another dodge.

"Hey!  You two wanna stop destroying the village?"

The two turned and looked at him.  Akira was floating in the air, fireball at the ready, while Biiru was almost cowering behind a shield.  Akira yelled, "Yes!"  And Biiru screamed "No!"  They resumed their big dodging-firing of fireballs.  Inuyasha growled to himself.

"Fine.  Then I'll kill you _both!"_

"Shut up!"  Akira fired a fireball at the hanyou.  He jerked the Tetsusaiga out of the sheath and swung it, knocking the fireball back at her.  She batted it back at him, watching it with interest until she got bored, and then allowed it to hit her.

After the smoke cleared, Akira was still hovering there, not a hair on her head disturbed.  Inuyasha blinked.  "Nani. . .how are you _alive_?"

"Oh, fire can't kill me.  I don't feel temperatures.   That's why I'm the miko of fire!"

"And you can't stand water, huh?"

She growled at Biiru.  "Go away, lemming!"  She threw another fireball at him, which instead of exploding seemed to take great joy in following him around and nudging him.  His robes were in great danger of catching fire.

She turned back to Inuyasha, ignoring the mixed cries from behind her of, "I'm not a lemming!"  "Ouch!"  "Hot!"

"What were you saying?"

He shook his head.  "And you two are friends?"

She shrugged.  "You could say that.  Mutual acquaintances through Ang.  Which reminds me. . .she okay now?"

He rolled his eyes.  "You all were about to let her die. . .?"

She shook her head.  "Course not.  Kagome may be a miko, but she's not used to her powers.  She can't use them on command.  Us being in the room would make her powers really spastic, since we have greater power."

"Why?"

"Because we're allied with gods.  There are three commoner types of miko.  A regular miko, like Kagome, a Miko, or one allied with the gods, and an empty miko.  One who has lost their alliance with the gods.  Then there are ones that are mixed, and it gets kinda complicated."

"How?"

She sighed.  "A regular miko allies with a god, breaks the alliance, joins with another god, and continues the pattern.   They retain slight powers after they leave, so they'd be really powerful."

He shrugged.  "Whatever.  You two need to stop destroying the place."

Akira looked around.  A few buildings had caught on fire.  Her eyes glazed over.  She glared at Inuyasha.  "You call _this_ destruction?"

He shrugged again.  "Not really.  But you're getting there."

"You wanna see destruction?"

She turned, and gathered a huge fireball in her hand.  Inuyasha watched with a sense of growing apprehension.  _Wonder if Kagome will kill me if I killed her?_

Akira practically growled as she tossed the immense fireball down at the ground.  Inuyasha didn't even bother trying to knock it back at her; he just jumped out of the way.  It hit the ground with an explosion, catching the nearby area on fire, but destroying most of it.  Inuyasha stared at her in shock.

"What are you thinking? People _live_ here!"

"I don't care!"

She readied another fireball.  Biiru jumped in the air next to her, and grabbed her wrist, and stared directly into her eyes.  "Akira. Calm down."

She glared back at him, and tried to force her fireball down on her head.  He didn't move at all, even when a stray strand of hair caught on fire.  Inuyasha blinked.  _He must really trust her. They're both psychos._

Eventually, they both let their magic drift them to the ground, and Biiru let go of her hand, and Akira allowed the fireball to shrink.  "Don't blame in on Inuyasha.  If you need to see him suffer, don't kill the townspeople. He doesn't care about them."  She nodded. "Now, if you were in a large, barren field, this would be different.  But not in a populated area."

She nodded.  "Fine."

Kaede pushed aside the cloth on her door.  "What is going on out here?  I can hear a fire. . ."  She looked at the village.  "What have you done?"

Akira sighed.  "Long story short, I threw a fireball at it."

"People will die!"

From inside the hut, Ang's voice drifted out.  "Two people have died.  Three are close to death.  And twenty others are probably going to die."

"How could you know that?"

"I used to be the Priestess of Death, wasn't I?  I can sense when people are going to die.  Want to know how you'll die, Miroku?"

"Ang!"  Biiru snapped at her, obviously annoyed.  "Enough!  How are we gonna save them?"

"Call a rainstorm."

"Do you know how?"

"No.  Kagome might be able to, but it'd take too long to teach her.  Your best bet. . .is just to try to save them all."

Biiru nodded.  "Fine.  Akira, you're immune to the fire.  Start looking.  Inuyasha, go with her.  You can probably sense the people.  You can smell through the smoke, right?"  He nodded.  "Good.  Go."

Inuyasha looked like he was going to protest, but thought better of it when Kagome came out of the hut.  They ran off.  Megan and Miroku trailed her, but Ang didn't make an effort to make, since she didn't come out.  "Kaede, you should probably make some kind of medicine that will ease the pain of those who were burned.  Miroku, can you suck in flames with your hand?"

He looked surprised he knew about it, but affirmed he could.  "Good.  Go and try that.  Megan, go with him and try to move the people out of the area."

"What are you going to do?"

He smirked.  "I can see those who are alive and those who are already dead.  If I get to the dead ones within five minutes of their death, I can restore them."

Megan nodded.  "Yosh.  Let's go."

~*~

Kaede looked at Ang.  Her eyes were half open, but she seemed to be staring directly at what Kaede knew to be the heart of the fire.  Miroku was sucking at it, but Biiru advised against using his hand too often.  And, taking in large chunks of the fire did burn Miroku.  Biiru had healed him several times already.

"You could help, you know."

Ang looked at her.  "I could."

Kaede waited for her to say something else, but she didn't.  Finally, she said, "Why don't you?"

"Because the dead aid me."

"Biiru is saving them."

"Only the living.  The living are of no help to me."

"How so?"

". . .My job as a Priestess was to take souls that did not wish to pass on.  After I finished them, I could use the power they had in their soul for myself.  Although demons are much more helpful. . .humans have a degree of power in their souls."

"You're using the souls of the dead to give yourself power?"

"It's harder to store now.  Shi won't help me anymore.  Most of it is going into curing me."

". . .So you're using their souls to heal yourself."  She didn't say anything.  Kaede resumed stirring her salve, mulling over that.  It disturbed her.  Using the souls of the dead was wrong.  They had earned their peace.

"It's no different from what your sister does."

Kaede looked sharply at her.  "What do you mean?  Kikyo does not steal from the dead."

"No.  She simply takes from the living.  What's worse, taking something the owner is not using and never will, or taking something the owner needs and is using?"

". . .How do you know about this?"

"I listen.  I've learned bits and pieces over the month or so I've been here.  So. . .her name is Kikyo?"

Kaede didn't answer.  _Sister. . .if I justify what you are doing, I justify this girl.  And yet I cannot fault you._  The salve was done.  Kaede took it outside to heal the wounded, leaving Ang behind, silently absorbing the souls of the dead.

~*~

Today's usage: 14

Record: 73


	15. Language Barriers and Hot Soup

Yep, it took me a long time, but it's posted.  ^^  Happy, Akira-chan?  Well, I have an idea for next chapter, and I'm gonna to do the unthinkable-explain Angela's and Biiru's story.  Of course, that's next chapter.  But a few interesting things are-*ahem*-revealed in this one.

As usual, I own everything.  Seriously!

~*~

Akira silently pointed out another person, and Inuyasha battled through a few flames and dragged them out while she walked directly through an inferno.

_Kuso. . .I didn't mean to do this!  I didn't!_

The way Inuyasha had snapped at her had just set her off.  She had always had a dangerous temper, and her miko powers weren't something one wanted hurled against them.  She hadn't meant to hit anything with the fireball, but. . .it had just kind of happened.  One moment her and Biiru were fighting, just like they used to, and next the town was on fire.

The hours wore on.  They saved most of the town, but about six or seven people lost their lives.  Akira said nothing as they dug graves for the few, remembering her old town.  The remains of the village looked like her town had.

Inuyasha continued to silently glance at her.  Finally, she threw down her shovel, glared at him, and snapped, "What?"

"You ready to talk yet?"

She glowered at him, picking up her shovel.  "No."

"When you are, you realize I'm gonna kill you."

"Right back at you."

The hanyou smirked.  "That a challenge, miko?"

She held one hand in front of her near him.  A small fireball appeared there.  "You wanna make it one?"

He looked at the fireball, and then smirked.  "Fine.  After Kagome proclaims this town to be fixed, we'll kill each other in the barren field over there.  Near the well."

She raised an eyebrow.  "After Kagome declares it okay?"

He nodded.  "I have a sinking feeling I'll be enlisted to re-build the whole damn place."

"Ah."  They continued to dig in silence, but each with a slight smile on their face.  Kaede sighed, and looked back at her ruined village.  A few homes she had managed to shield from the fire were safe, but that was it.  She walked back into her house, where she could still hear the idle chatter of Kagome, Megan, and Miroku as they dug.  Ang was still listening, but glanced at her when she 

"It's dead, baba.  You may as well go find another town."

"The people are alive."

"They have nowhere to live.  They'll probably leave."  Kaede glanced again at the young girl who was watching the fire burn under the pot.  "He's not helping.  Akira might be able to kill him."

"He doesn't think she'll go that far.  Plus, he's seen Biiru save how many people now?  He trusts him.  This is his way of offering her the chance to blow off steam."

Ang snorted.  "I see."

"How long are you going to not move?"

Ang shook her head.  "As you can tell, I can move just fine.  However, it requires too much energy for me to really want to."

". . .So you're telling me you're fine but lazy."

She scowled.  "No, I'm telling you I'm fine but don't have energy."

"You seemed fine before."

"Don't you get it, baba?  I was alive because Shi wanted me alive.  Once I lost purpose in her great plan, there was no need to keep me alive.  The energy she gave me disappeared."

"Energy from death?"

She smirked.  "More like she didn't allow her energy to get any stronger than it already was.  It's kinda hard to explain. . ."

Kaede nodded, stirring her soup.  "I see.  She didn't allow herself to overcome you.  So what's stopping her now."

"Why should she kill me?  She knows I hate being powerless.  Biiru is keeping me alive off his damn energy. . .and she knows I hate him. . ."

"Why do you hate Biiru?"

Ang didn't answer.  She stared off into space, watching the fire of the pot, idly wondering why Kaede never seemed to put it out.  Finally, she replied, "That's something for me to remember."

"Why doesn't _he_ know?"

". . .It's a long story, and it's all their fault," she said, nonchalantly pointing up to the ceiling.  "If they hadn't interfered, it would be so much simpler, and so. . ." she stopped again, and didn't continue.  Kaede glanced at her in confusion.

"The gods interfered in what?"

"If I _wanted_ to tell you, I would have told you by now."

They sat silently until the soup was done, and Kaede called the workers inside.  Megan and Miroku were talking quietly, pushing each other back and forth, playfully.  Biiru sat down next to Ang, keeping a silent eye on her.  Akira and Inuyasha continued to bicker, arguing over how strong the Tetsusaiga would be if Akira burnt the handle off it.  Which led into an argument over how she would reach it if he was shielding it, which led into another argument, which eventually became a contest to see how much soup they could eat before having to breathe.  Kagome was asking Kaede about some herb she had found growing nearby the graves, which Kaede seemed fascinated by.

"Oy, baba!"

"Hmm?  What do you want, Inuyasha?"

"What kind of soup did you make?"

Kaede glanced at the pots surrounding him and Akira.  "All that without tasting any of it. . ." She smiled almost sadistically.  "Well, Kagome bought me something she called 'chili peppers' and a recipe. . ."

Akira and Inuyasha both suddenly jumped up, and ran over to Kaede's bucket of water.  A quick yet brutal battle ensued, ending with Akira being sat on, screaming death threats while Inuyasha gulped down the bucket.

". . .telling how to make hot chili soup."

Angela started laughing.  Biiru rolled his eyes and thrust a bow of it in her face, which she accepted out of surprise.  "Eat."

She glowered at him.  "Why should I?"

"Because you'll die of starvation if you don't."

She idly stirred the soup around the bowl for a few seconds, and then looked back up at him, scowling.  "Which translates into, 'If you don't eat it I'll jam it down your throat.'  Right?"

He nodded.  Kagome sat down next to her, and smiled.  "It's good.  You'll like it, I promise."  She accepted a bowl from Kaede, smiling.  She ate hers slowly, aware of the adverse effects it could have on your.  Akira and Inuyasha had run off to find the nearest stream a mere five seconds ago, after all.

Ang didn't comment, and then sighed, putting the soup down.  "I trust it'd be good.  Look how much those two ate.  I'm just not hungry."

"It'll restore your energy faster."

"Sé."

"I thought you wanted to stop depending on me?"

"Hago."

"Then why won't you eat it?"

"No quiero a."

He groaned quietly.  "Could you _please_ speech in English?  Not all of us _took_ Spanish."

"Si no puedas entienda espanol, es tu problema."

"Je sais pas pourquoi tu soyez tres stupide."

Angela sighed.  "Fine.  You don't speak French, I don't speak Spanish."

"Deal."

Kagome looked at them in surprise.  "We're not speaking English, you realize."

They both looked at her like she had suddenly turned into Jaken and was now rapping along to "Without Me."

"Nani?!"

"This is Japan.  Do you think we speak English all the time?  And this is feudal Japan.  I don't think they've even met any English-speaking people yet."

"I don't speak Japanese."  Ang carelessly took a sip of the soup.  "I only know a few phrases."

". . .You sound like you're speaking Japanese to me."

"I'm not, I assure you.  And doesn't Japanese change quite frequently?  Your words would be too altered for them to understand?"

Kagome looked surprised.  "I-I hadn't thought of it.  They all speak exactly my dialect. . .I hadn't thought about the possible differences. . ."

Ang shrugged.  "Maybe it's a side effect of the well.  Ability to understand everyone you talk to."  Then she looked horrified.  "Are you telling me if I went to Spain everyone would be speaking English?"

Biiru laughed.  Seeing Kagome's confusion, he explained, "She loves Spanish.  It's her second language.  She only knows catch phrases in Japanese."

"Oh."

Biiru glanced back at Ang, and then spazzed.  "Ah!  You ate all of the soup!"  She smirked.  "I thought you didn't want any," he complained.

"It's just fun to piss you off."

He sighed, and Kagome wonderingly went back to her food.  _I thought she hated him.  But she's certainly not acting like she loathes him right now.  In fact, if I didn't know better, that'd almost be flirting. . ._

She looked up, and noticed Akira and Inuyasha were back.  Akira looked exceedingly wet and happy, while Inuyasha looked both wet and partially crispy.  She sighed to herself.  She realized with a start Inuyasha was looking at Biiru with an expression that she could usually associate with Kouga.

She looked back at Ang.  _Nah. . ._

~*~

Today's Usage: 16

Record: 73


	16. Forceful Memories

Akira pushed herself off the mattress.  _I may not have the money, but damned if I make them pay for it._

Angela opened her eyes and looked at her.  "Akira, get some sleep."

"I'm going for a walk."

"You won't get much for doing that during the night."

She scowled.  "How do _you know what I'm thinking?"_

"Trust me.  Do it during the day.  You'll get more money then."

". . .I'll get there tonight and do it tomorrow."

She shook her head in annoyance.  "You are impossible to argue with, Akira."

She shrugged.

". . .Fine, see if I care.  Go get eaten by a youkai."

Akira stuck her tongue out at her.  "Fine, I will.  See you tomorrow, okay?  Try not to fight with Biiru _too much, ne?  Ja!"_

She walked off, making sure not to wake anyone else up, although Inuyasha's ears definitely twitched.  She growled silently at him.  _Darn hanyou.  I'll burn him into a burrito someday.  She paused for a second.  __Burrito?  What am I thinking about?  I don't even like__ burritos!_

She snuck out of Kaede's hut, and began walking.  It was dark.  There were too many trees in the general vicinity of the ex-town.  She scowled, considering burning them into little itty bitty pieces of firewood, but decided it was better to leave them standing, mainly because Biiru would just bring them back to life.

_. . .How far away _is_ the next village, anyway?_

~*~

Inuyasha opened his eyes as the sun shone through the window.  He growled to himself.  _Why is that window have to let the sun directly into _my_ eyes?  He looked around.  Everyone had stalked off into different parts of Kaede's hut after dinner, and had gone to sleep.  He had gone on a minimal demon hunt, before deciding that demons were now smart enough to stay away from him.  More the pity for him._

He had come back, prepared to ask Kagome to come with him so he could actually do something worthwhile.  But when he discovered she was sleeping. . .he had just let her sleep and gone on guard duty.  He had fallen asleep when he sun had rose, and woke up as soon as the damn thing shone through the window.  He pulled on the make-shift blinds Kaede had, but broke them almost instantly.  He sighed to himself, and walked outside, looking at the area.

It was still a dismal sight.  He didn't know when they were going to have to start re-building it, but the villagers were already building houses on the fringe, where the fire hadn't touched.  He thought back to Akira, and how quickly she had switched her moods.  At first, almost playfully knocking fireballs around, and then trying to kill everyone with fire.  He shook his head.  _Must have had a rough childhood. . .I'll have to ask her sometime._  Then he scowled again.  _Since when did I _become such a nice person?__

". . .The sunrise is pretty, huh Inuyasha?"

He turned around in confusion.  "Kagome, you're awake?"  She nodded, and walked over next to him, staring at the sunrise.  He glanced at it.  "Yeah, I guess it is."

"You don't see sunrises very often in my time.  It's so polluted there; we've actually added colors to the sunrise. . ."

". . .What do you mean?"

She smiled.  "In my time, there are more colors in the sunrise.  It's pretty, but it's a reminder how things are going downhill there. . ."  She realized that he had really no idea what she was talking about.  She ruefully shook her head.   "I'll show you sometime."

". . .Okay."

She looked at the villagers, and sighed.  "It's going to take so much more money than this town has.  I don't think we'll be able to fix the town with the supplies we have.  We'll have to raise money for extra workers, supplies. . ."

He nodded.  "We could just take the supplies from neighboring areas.  And as for the extra man power, I can do the work of several humans.  So you shouldn't worry about _that."_

She laughed at his bragging.  "I believe that.  But you'd be tired when you finished.  Even _you get tired on occasion."_

"Keh!"  Inuyasha looked back at the villagers who must have started work as soon as the sin rose.  Kagome followed his gaze, silently shaking her head.  _It's a shame.  He's such a nice guy, but he really does refuse to admit it._

The both heard a loud banging from inside.  They hurried back inside in time to see Miroku, running back to the guy's side of the hut, smiling like crazy, while Megan chased after him madly with a broom.  Kaede had finally given in to her "guests" and had divided the hut.  One side was the guy's, the other the girl's, and she slept wherever there were a few empty feet.

"Hentai!  Hentai!  Hentai!"

Inuyasha sighed to himself.  "Why am I not surprised. . .?"  He grabbed Miroku's robes, which spun him around, allowing Meg to score a hit with the broom right across his face.  "Miroku!  What did you _do?"_

"Itai!  Stop it, stop it!"  Kagome managed to catch the broom, and pulled the infuriated cat demon off into a corner, where she tried to calm her down, having little to no effect.  Miroku pulled his robes out of Inuyasha's claws.  "Arigato, Kagome-sama.  It's a funny story, really.  I got lost on my way to find Kaede for something to cool down my hand.  All the fire, you understand. . .very hot.  Well, as I was walking, I tripped over something, and I landed on Megan-sama."

She growled at him.  "Interesting. . .so, you just _happened_ to fall, Miroku.  What did you trip over?"

"Something in the middle of the floor."

"So why is there a bump on your head?"

"Oh?  This?"  Miroku lightly touched a large bump on top of his head.  "Oh, this.  You see, the wall was closer than I had anticipated when I fell, so I hit the wall."

"But, if you fell, you wouldn't anticipate where the wall was at all."

Miroku paused.  "You make a good point."

"Hentai!"

Inuyasha pushed Miroku at Megan, which caused them both to fall, and Miroku landed on top of Megan, and then refused to move.  Inuyasha shook his head.  "Go nuts, Megan.  You deserve it, Miroku."

He turned away from the sight, shaking his head and muttering, "Hentai," to himself.  Kagome rolled her eyes.  He_ hasn't changed since I left.  No one here has.  I just hope I can meet Sango and Shippo again. . .I don't know where she went, and Shippo. . .where _is_ Shippo?_

"Inuyasha, have you seen Shippo?"

"Huh?"  He thought about it for a total of half a second.  "Nope.  Not since I told him he was a coward and he ran off crying."

Kagome frowned.  "I hope he's okay."

"Keh!  Of _course_ that little kitsune is _fine_.  He certainly knows how and when to run away quickly enough."  Kagome frowned.

"You should be nicer to Shippo.  What has he ever done to you?  And besides, both of his parents have died."  Inuyasha stared blankly at her with an almost hurt look on his face.  She gulped slightly.  "And he's not as brave as you.  He can't get alone as well without someone stronger to protect him."

The flap on the girl's side of the room opened, and Ang padded out.  She paused momentarily to watch Miroku manage to free himself of Megan's beating and run out of the house, followed by the cat, who was still screaming death threats.  She shook her head in amusement.  "Yet another intriguing way to wake up in the morning.  You people never wake me up when something interesting his happened, do you?"  She yawned again, and sleepily smiled.

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a look.  _She was abnormally friendly.  "Daijobu desk ka?"_

She nodded.  "Daijobu.  I managed get lotsa sleep last night, so I'm not tired.  And when I'm not tired, I'm nice to people.  So, what are we doing today?  Hunting down volunteers for rebuilding the town?"

Kagome shook her head.  _Talk about out of character. . . "No, we need to worry about the funds.  We'd need to pay workers, and buy supplies, and the villagers here were already poor.  There's no way they'd be able to pay the money to hire people."_

"Let Akira deal with that."

They stared at her in surprise.  _Let.__ . .Akira. . .deal with it?  Megan and Miroku managed to settle their differences and walk back inside.  Kaede woke up and started breakfast.  Finally, the two snapped out of the nightmares that had been inspired by the thought of how Akira would gather the money.  "How is Akira gonna gather enough money to fix a town?"_

"She can dance pretty well."

They stared at her in shock again.  Ang shrugged and began to eat some of the food Kaede was making.  She looked at Kaede in surprise at the gooey stuff in her bowl.  "Oatmeal?"

Kagome nodded, still in relative shock.  _How is dancing pretty well __gonna raise enough money to fix the destruction she caused?  "I brought it back with me.  It's good when it's cold outside or he drags us through the mountains.  But, about Akira. . ."_

Ang waved her hand at her, wondering how they intended to eat oatmeal with chopsticks.  "Don't worry about it!  If she doesn't raise enough money on her own, I can always go out and rob a few upperclassmen.  They carry around lotsa money, right?  But Akira will go it easily."

"You'll be killed by their bodyguards."

"Ever successfully robbed an armed car?"

"I figured she'd go sooner or later.  I'm actually surprised she waited so long."  Inuyasha and Kagome turned around to see Biiru, although Ang didn't.  "Good morning, mina-san."  He glanced in surprise at the food.  "How old is oatmeal?"

Kaede looked insulted.  "I made it this morning."

"Oh, gomen.  You misunderstand me.  I meant, when was it invented?"

Kagome shrugged.  "I brought it back with me from my time.  I'm not sure if it's been discovered in this time, though.  They tend just to eat rice, I think."

He nodded, accepting a bowl from Kaede.  Kagome served herself a bowl, and then handed one to Inuyasha.  He looked surprised, but silently accepted it.  They silently ate for a while, and then went outside to survey the damage.  Angela complained that the sun was too bright, and Biiru lightly told her to get a pair of sunglasses.

"When will Akira come back?"

Ang shrugged.  "Maybe tomorrow.  She left sometime last night.  I figure she'll walk, take her a few hours to get there, rest for a while, dance all day, rest a bit longer, and walk back at night."

". . .You've got this all figured out, haven't you?"

"Akira was feeling guilty as soon as you calmed her down.  I was waiting for her to calm down enough to talk to her, but she left before she was calm enough to talk to.  I'll talk to her when she gets back.

Inuyasha snorted.  "She better be feeling guilty.  She just destroyed a whole town single-handedly."

"Shut up!"  Inuyasha stopped in surprise, looking at Ang, who was suddenly very angry.  "If _you_ knew what was going on, you wouldn't have said that.  It's not her fault that _you_ pushed her into it!"

"Ma-Matte!  How did _I_ make her do that?"

Biiru put a restraining hand of Ang's arm.  "Calm down, Ang.  Inuyasha, Akira would not be pleased if we explained her part for you.  Fires for her are rather traumatic."

"Then why is she Kaji no miko?"

"Because she loves fire."

"But-but you just said-"

"It's a love/hate relationship, Inuyasha.  Much like the one you have with the girl you were talking about a week ago."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha in surprise.  "Would that girl be-?"

"Kikyo."

She nodded.  "Sorry."  He didn't reply.  _Why did I just ask that?  What _else_ would he have been talking about?  She sighed to herself.  _I wonder if he talked about me?_  "So," she said in the most conversational tone she could muster, "how did you two meet?"_

Ang threw her an almost dirty look, and scowled.  "Ain't your day for questions Kagome.  I won't ask if I were you."

Kagome paused.  The icy glare she had given her was more frightening than some of the youkai she had been in battles with.  "Was that a threat?"  She continued to glare at her.  "Ah. . .gomen."

Biiru glanced at Ang with an intrigued look.  "What do you have against explaining things?"

"Nothing."

"Then explain."

She glared at him, her glare gradually softening into an almost broken gaze.  "Kisama. . .you really don't remember, do you?"  She looked confused.  "How _could_ you?  How could you _forget!?"_

He took a step back, releasing her arm, and holding his hands up defensively.  Inuyasha unconsciously stepped in front of Kagome and put a hand on his sword.  Kagome found herself gripping her bow.  "Calm down. . ."

"No!"  She took a step towards him, clenching her hands.  Inuyasha could smell blood.  _Great.  She broke the skin._  "How the hell could you have forgotten a full year of your life!?"

Biiru gulped.  _She's crying!_

She glared at him one last time, and then stormed back to Kaede's.  Biiru took a deep breath, and started to run after her.  Inuyasha grabbed his arm, snapping him back.  "Let her be.  Don't follow her right now."  Biiru and Kagome looked at him in surprise.

Biiru jerked his arm away, with the first expression of anger any of them had seen.  "How the hell would you know what she wants right now?  I've known her for nearly three times as long as you."

Inuyasha didn't answer the angry tone.  "I know that.  But she also hates you, Priest.  She trusts me more than she trusts you, from what I've seen."

Biiru glared at him.  "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Neither do you."

"What do you mean?"

"According to her, you've forgotten a year of your life.  And in that year, you two must have had one big fight.  She says that she hates you, she's barely been tolerating your presence. . .it's better if you leave her alone, Biiru."

~*~

Kaede looked up as Ang stalking into the room, healing her hands.  She frowned when the scar tissue steadfastly refused to heal.  Kaede looked back at her herbs.  Since she had used so many in the fire, she needed to replenish her stock.  "For someone without energy, you're sure feisty."

"Cram it, baba."

"Where are the others?"

"Probably still standing where I left them.  Have Miroku and Megan stopped killing each other yet?"

"Yes.  I gave Miroku some salve to better heal some of the bruises he received.  Meg agreed to help with some, but I've heard some slapping from inside the room, so I can't guess what's going on.  I don't understand her train of thought."

She sighed.  "Chica es loca, no?"  She looked out the window.  "Tal vez es loca.  O tal vez está loca.  Todos hacemos cosas estupidas."*

"We all do stupid stuff, I guess."  Ang looked back at Kaede, but realized it was really the newcomer to the room who had spoken.  Meg sat down next to Ang.

"So, Miroku still in critical condition?"

"No.  I gave him a few impressive bruises, but I agreed to treat the one on his face because he couldn't see it well enough to put the stuff on it.  Kaede gave him something."

"I heard."

"Mina doko desu ka?  Kaede told me Akira is away, but I haven't seen anyone else."

"Standing outside, giving me breathing space.  They'll be back in about five or ten minutes.  It was kinda weird. . .I was in such a good mood this morning.  Now I'm ready to kill someone."

"What did Inuyasha do this time?"

"Nothing.  Biiru is the one who pissed me off.  Why did you say it was Inuyasha?"

"Because, usually it's him who pisses you off."

"Ah."

"Well, are you going to go get them?  I mean, you look pretty calm to me."

"Of course.  If I get myself excited _now, then I'd use up the energy I got from the fire, and that's all I have right now."_

"You got energy from that?"

"Of course.  Life energy."

Megan didn't reply, but looked intrigued by the idea of getting energy from the destroying fire.  "Do you mean you got energy from the souls?"

"No.  Harvesting souls actually takes energy, and I have no desire to trap souls on this earth.  I collect the life energy they lost when they die, and add it to my own."

"Honto ni. . ."

"Where did you come from, anyway?"

Megan frowned.  "I don't want to talk about it.  Maybe later."

She nodded.  "We're a lot alike, aren't we?  Neither of us are accepted among our peers.  A hanyou alone cannot find a place; a fourth demon is merely laughed at by youkai, and _still _feared by humans.  And an empty miko, I'm just a shadow of my past powers.  Empty miko are frowned on, and death isn't exactly smiled at either.  I'm only a little more powerful than Kagome, if I am right now.  A high-level spell would kill me right now."

"What kind of high-level spell would you need?"

"Mass Destruction, Avenging Angel. . .just a powerful spell.  Even a high healing would hurt.  I'm running off a minimum power supply as it is. . .in fact, a solid middle-level might kill me."

"Maybe you should rest," Megan said, standing up with a bit of concern.  "You look tired."

"I am. . .kind of.  I thought I had more energy than I do.  But. . .oh well.  Maybe I just need to eat more."

"At least you eat more than you used to."

"Be nice."

"Nyah!"

They both laughed.  Ang stood up, dusting imaginary dust off her clothes.  She held up her hands in front of her, one on top of the other, with a grapefruit sized ball forming in between them.  Megan took a step back in surprise.  "Na-nani?  What are you doing?  Nani kore?"

"Don't worry," she said, sounding kind of faint.  "It's a low middle-level spell.  It won't kill me. . .and it's not an attack."

"Stop _casting_!   What are you doing?"

Kaede's door/mat swung open, admitting the three missing people.  Ang's hands quickly dropped, although a barely detectible mist hung around her right hand.  "What were you doing in here?"

Ang stepped towards Biiru, stopping only a foot away.  "Biiru. . .do you want to remember?"  He nodded, anger dissipating from his face, being replaced by an almost desperate look.  "Then I'll help you."

Before anyone could react, she reached up and put a finger near his temple.  Something tried to push it aside, but the mist attacked it, and there was a blinding flash of light.  Her finger gently touched his temple.  The mist flowed from her temple _into his temple.  His eyes grew wider and wider, and his pupils shrunk._

Finally, she stepped back, swaying on her feet.  Biiru didn't move, but stared ahead in shock.  Angela's leg gave out on her, and she collapsed, caught at the lost second by Inuyasha.  Everyone turned and looked at Biiru for an explanation.

His dead eyes remained staring straight ahead.  "I. . .I remember now. . ."

~*~

 "She's crazy, huh?"  "Maybe she's crazy.  Or maybe she's temporarily crazy.  We all do stupid stuff."

~*~

Yay!  It's up!


	17. Long Narrative

Inuyasha stood up, still holding Ang.  Kagome waved a hand in front of Biiru's face.  "Biiru?  What's wrong?"

"No use, Kagome."  She turned and looked at Inuyasha with surprise.  "Biiru's practically gone into shock.  Whatever she did to him, it's damn effective."

"She. . .she said it wasn't an attack."  They looked at Meg.  "I was talking to her before you all came back.  About how little energy she still had.  But she said the spell she was casting wasn't an attack spell."

"We believe you. . .Inuyasha," Kagome said, turning to face the hanyou.  "Why don't you put Ang in the other room?  Unless you want to keep carrying her."

Inuyasha looked surprised.  "Oh.  Sure. . ." He walked into the other section of Kaede's hut, wondering idly why the girls had nicer pillows.  With surprising gentleness for a half-demon, he put her down on a mat, and drew some covers up, since she looked so pale.  _. . .Damn. . .getting soft. . ._  He stood up, and walked out of the room, casting her one last glance.

"So, what are we going to do?  Biiru-"

"Oy, Kagome, where did he go?"  Inuyasha looked around.  In the thirty seconds he had been gone, Biiru had disappeared.

Kagome glowered at him.  "If you let me finish. . .Biiru went to lie down.  He's still out of it.  I don't think he's ready to come back down to earth yet.  We'll have to let him recover before we can ask him any questions.  Ang seems at peace with what she did. . .she didn't try to hurt anyone or yell after she did it. . .she smiled.  She might tell us what she did, but probably not how to un-do it.  She probably doesn't have the energy to fix it anyway.  Which takes up all the Priests."

"What about Akira?"

"I don't know.  She might be able to fix it, but then again, she might not know what to do."

"When is she coming back?"

"It's not like I'm keeping tabs on everyone!  Demo. . .I think Ang said Akira would probably be back sometime tomorrow.  Until then. . .we'll have to wait."

~*~

Akira tiredly pushed a tree branch out of her way.  _I knew I should have stayed a night.  Oh well. . .too late._  She forcibly secured the branch behind another tree, and then continued to pull the cart behind her.  "I want a horse," she whined.

"Then why not ask?"

"Kaji!"  She dropped the cart handle, and glomped the man.  He smiled, and hugged her back.  "Kaji-kun!"

"You're supposed to call me Kaji-sama, you know."

"You'll always be Kaji-kun to me."

He laughed.  "And I thought you were tired.  Oh," he said, still laughing at her earnest nod, "Don't worry.  I know you are."  He examined the heavy cart of gold, and shook his head ruefully.  _How did she carry it so far?  "All you had to do was ask me for money, Akira."_

"I know.  But I wanted to earn it myself.  I wouldn't have felt like I had really made up for what I had done if I hadn't made this money on my own."

Kaji nodded.  "I understand.  That's just like you.  But, Akira, I have two reasons for coming down here, other than visiting you.  I have to ask two things of you.  Firstly. . .I can't let you kill Inuyasha."

"Demo-demo-demo-!"

He held up a silencing hand.  "I know.  But Inuyasha must not be killed.  He's the best protection you can have in a time like this.  He may be. . .a bit cruel, but that's totally accidental.  He's actually rather nice.  No killing Inuyasha."

". . .Fine."

"And the other request is easier."  He paused for a moment, and then shook his head.  "A long time ago, Shi Issey, and I were in a situation similar to the one we are in today.  They attempted a merger, and failed.  Biiru was forced to forget, Ang forced to suffer the memories, and I have removed the painful part of the memories from your mind to ease your mind.  I thought it would be kinder to forget. . ."

"Why does Ang hate Biiru?"

"Ang has given Biiru back his memory."  Akira paled.  "Yes, she broke a god seal.  I'm sure she'll be in great trouble when Shi gets around to punishing her, if Issey ever gets around to checking on his seals.  But since they remember, I think you should too.  It'd be. . .unfair, shall we say, if you couldn't."  She nodded.  "I'll give you a horse, and then your memory.  The horse can pull, and you can think about it until you get back to Kaede's."

"Yosh."  Kaji ruffled her hair.  "Hey!  That was mean, Kaji-kun!"  Kaji laughed, and summoned up a horse for her.  "Ooh. . .pretty. . ."

"This is my horse.  She's smart; when you regain your memory, you're going to be too distracted by a lot of it to think clearly.  She's surefooted, smart, and fast. . .she'll protect you if any harm where to come to you.  And she'll keep _you out of trouble."_

"That implies I'd get in trouble."

Akira climbed on the mare.  She was black, but instead of having white socks, fire designs paraded up and down her forelocks, which actually gave off a slight glow.  "Akira, trouble follows you like demons follow the Shikon no Tama.  I'll talk to you later, Priestess."

"Hai, Kaji-sama."

"Be good."

He gently laid a finger on her temple, and then left.  The mare began walking, and pulled the cart along with her.  Akira silently began to sort through her regained memories.

"Oh, Ang. . .is _that_ why you hate Biiru?"

~*~

Biiru could hear in the other room.  The quiet talking wasn't blocked at all by the thin walls.  Miroku had left a little bit ago, disturbed by the silent Priest.  They were quietly discussing the turn of events.  From what he heard, Ang was still breathing, although highly irregularly.

_God.__ . .Ang. . .how could you hate me?  How could__ you?  He silently tightened his hands.  __It's not_ puppy love!  It's deeper than that!  I love you!__

He suddenly stood up.  _The others will want to know now.  Now that I can explain it to them, it is my duty as a Priest to explain it to them.  Avoid future problems with this topic.  Plus, Akira isn't here, and Ang won't do it. . .she didn't want me__ to know, and I'm part of the memory._

He walked back out into the gathering room, and sat down in an opening in the circle.  Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"Biiru, are you okay now?  Do you feel better?  You. . .that looked like a pretty powerful spell."

"Hai, Kagome-san.  Daijobu."  He looked at the girl's side of the tent, hoping to see some movement.  "And Ang. . .?"

"You shouldn't be worrying about her yet, Biiru.  Ang will be fine; you should worry more about yourself right now."  He waved his hand at Kagome, dismissing her advice in annoyance.  "Fine, then.  Here.  There's some of the stew we had for dinner left over."

He accepted it, silently nodding his thanks.  "I'm guessing you all want to know why Ang hates me, now that I know. . ."

"Hell ya!"

"Inuyasha!"  Kagome glowered at him, and he shrugged.  "Only if you _want to tell us, of course. . ."_

"Spit it out!"

"Miroku!"

"I wanna know!"

Biiru sighed.  "It's okay.  I'll tell you.  It's no longer a secret, after all. . .and in case I forget again, you should be able to help me remember again.  Because I don't want to keep forgetting this."

He paused, gathering his thoughts.  ". . .At certain set times, all Priestesses and Priests-I will call them all Priests from now on, simply because the author is sick of typing 'Priestesses and Priests'-gather.  Get to know newcomers, consider alliances, learn new powers. . .it's like a secret convention for God-endorsed people.  Well, Akira, Ang, And I all met there when we were very young. . .I think maybe only ten or eleven.  We were really only Priests in training.  We hung out; together, trained together. . .we were comrades.  All that good stuff.

"Anyway, we stuck together.  Issey and Shi wanted Ang and I to be with each other, and Akira was our friend.  Kaji wanted us to be happy.  Kaji always has been. . .the most interesting in looking out for Akira, not himself.  He has enough power to be secure, so he's not interested in anything other than her happiness.  So he, naturally, had no interest in a merger with anyone.  Shi and Issey are powerful, and power corrupts.  They both wanted. . .more."

"I'm willing to wager they had designs for us for a long time, probably from the moment we met.  Life and Death are powerful forces.  Why bother making a powerful weapon if its life can be taken away from it in moments?  Or the ability to restore life to all of its dead allies in a single motion.  It makes sense they would want a weapon that could do that.  And if our powers were merged together, then such a weapon would exist.  It makes sense they would want a merger.  We had no right to refuse a demand from them for a merger."

_Sounds like he's trying to convince himself of that as much as he's trying to convince us.__  Is he trying to justify something, or is he just unsure of his actions now?  Inuyasha was tempted to ask, but he didn't want to distract him._

"Over time, I got. . .feelings for Ang.  I told her that, but she wanted to stay friends.  But I still loved her.  Akira told me I was stupid, but I kept trying to convince Ang she should love me.  But she pushed me away. . .but kept us friends.

"One day, when we were-I think maybe fifteen-Shi and Issey told us they planned on a merger when we were a little older.  I was fine with that; I was ecstatic.  Ang was crushed.  I remember her crying that day.

"I told Issey I'd do it in a heart beat.  Ang didn't give an answer for three days, but when she did, she said no.

"Have you ever seen her arms?  They're covered in scars.  Deep scar tissue neither of us or any other can heal.  The marks of the fury of a goddess.  When Ang said 'no,' Shi was so furious she nearly killed her.  That's the reason Ang had so much of Ang's energy in her.  She used her energy to save her after nearly killing her because she felt guilty about it.

"I don't know what exactly Shi said to her, but it was basically, 'You don't have a choice.'  Ang didn't try to get better. . .which is why she was still living off so much of Shi's power.

"We had hoped eventually she'd simply like the idea, or just give in to Shi's demands.  But no matter what anyone said or did, no matter which death threat Shi threw at her, she hated the idea.  So one day, Shi and Issey wanted to talk to me, without Ang knowing.  I snuck off-Ang was happy to pretend to not see me, after all-and we met in the woods.  They had decided that it was time to simply force Ang into the agreement.  After all, if we could get her to agree once, she would be eternally bound to her word.  That's why we rarely seriously give our word on anything.  That also means. . .I'm trapped by my word forever also.

"They gave me a high-level spell to control her will, and the power to cast the spell on her.  All I had to do was use the spell and then tell her to inform Shi she had agreed on the merger, and the whole thing would be over with.

"I went back to camp, debating over whether it would be right to cast such a spell on someone I loved.  I spent the whole day in silent thought, wondering if it would be better to live with Ang's love being forced, or winning her true love, and having that for the rest of my life.  After all, forced love is totally unconditional.

"Akira knew something was up, but Kaji had asked her to please stay out of the whole issue between Shi and Issey, and anything related to the merge.  So all I had to do was tell her it was related to that and she would sigh, and go back to whatever it was she was doing.  Ang wasn't as easy to lie to.  I ended up telling her I was debating if I should leave for a mission or stay with her.

"That night, I snuck into her room, and I finally made my decision."

"You didn't cast it."

Biiru looked surprised at the interruption, and shook his head at Kagome.  "I never said that, Kagome-sama.  That night, I ended up casting the spell on Ang.  She woke up the next morning, unable to make major decisions without me affirming whatever it was.  She didn't realize it, because the spell is very subtle.  But. . .

"I couldn't command her to agree to it.  I knew she didn't want to, and that it'd be against everything she is if I forced her into it.  So I didn't do it.  I commanded her to make her own decisions.  But, if I ever give her an order in the proper form, she'd have to obey it.  Sloppy planning on the gods' part.  They must have been very desperate at that point.

"So the gods still didn't have what they wanted.  Furious at me, because I hadn't 'done my duty,' they told Ang about the spell.  She was absolutely livid at me.  She stomped off as soon as she could without a word to Akira or me.  Shi and Issey started contracting again, and forced Akira and I to forget. . ."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes.  Finally, Inuyasha shook his head in disgust.  "Pretty low, Biiru.  Trying to force her to love you, even though you know she doesn't.  That's one of the sickest things I've heard in my life."

Biiru glared at him across the flickering firelight.  "And what that the priestess, hanyou koinu?"

The two glowered at each other, each refusing to break the gaze.  The room shifted uneasily; it two of its more powerful components locked in a death-match through those little things called eyes.  Kaede morosely wondered how much more her home could take before just giving up totally.  "So," Megan said, trying to break the mood, "she hates you because you can control her?"

"But I wouldn't!"

Inuyasha chuckled darkly.  "Doesn't matter, Biiru.  Just because you could, she hates you.  That's the way her mind works.  She doesn't hate you as much as she hates your power over her.  Until you're wiling to give up that power over her, you could _never convince her to love you, Priest."_

". . .So, what exactly are you saying?  Drop the spell?  Then she won't hate me?"

"It's not as much of hate as. . .extreme dislike?"

Biiru glowered at the half-demon's answer/question.  "Extreme dislike and hate are the same damn thing, baka!"

Inuyasha stood up, looking a little too eager for Kagome's liking.  "Would you like to take this outside, Biiru?"

Biiru stood up and nodded.  "Gladly, hanyou."

"Osuwari."

Inuyasha hit the floor a little harder than usual, practically growling at the dark-haired girl as he managed to pull his face up from the ground.  She ignored his threatening growls.  "Little. . .!"

"Shame on the both of you!  We don't have time for acting like two-year-olds," _despite the fact Inuyasha always acts like that. . ._ "And we don't have the time to be fighting!  Biiru, you're still a little shaken by that spell Ang cast on you.  You haven't regained your full strength.  And Inuyasha, you're supposed to be protecting us, not trying to kill us by making a hut collapse on our heads!"

". . .I wasn't going to hurt the hut.  Just Biiru."

"You should be protecting us from _demons_!"

There was a large crashing sound aside, and a disturbing howl.  Like what Inuyasha might have sounded like if he had somehow managed to get his ear trapped inside a strange demented form of a Pop Tart.

Miroku sighed.  "Speaking of demons. . ."

~*~

See, Akira!  It's posted.  Nyah!  Um. . .hooray, now we wait for the next chapter?


	18. The Return of Akira and Departure of Mir...

"Ma-Matte!  How did _I_ get voted for this job again?"

Kagome sighed.  "Because no one _else_ was stupid enough to yell right then.  It's quite simple, just get its attention, and then Inuyasha will attack it!"

". . .Fine. . ."

Miroku walked outside, into Kaede's backyard, and looked at the sky.  _The question now becomes, what do I talk to myself about?_  "Oh, it's quite nice out tonight.  I don't think it will rain.  I mean, if those clouds weren't here, then I would say it wasn't going to rain.  But the presence of those clouds is rather ominous, so I guess it might rain.  But I rather hope it won't.  Why, if I had someone to talk to, then I would doubtlessly tell him or her how much I hope it won't rain and how much fun one can have when it's not raining.  But, of course, I am alone. . .quite alone.  In fact, if I were to be attacked right now, I'd be very open, since I'm very busy talking to myself, and I can't be distracted from talking, because I have a duty, and-"

"Miroku!"

"Nani?"

"_Shut up!"_

"Demo-demo you just told me to distract whatever it was that was out front!"

". . .It was Akira.  Come inside."

"Oh."  Miroku walked back inside, and glowered at the Fire Priestess, who was sitting down calmly, with a large bowl in front of her.  She was holding a set of chopsticks, with a noodle hanging loosely out of it.  She looked at Miroku with surprise.

"What were you doing outside?"

". . .Luring away the demon that was attacking. . ."

"I see."  She slurped the noodle in her mouth.  "Well, anyway, I got it."

Biiru looked surprised.  "Really?"

She nodded, a smile coming over her face.  "Yep.  Took me all day, and Kaji had to give me a ride home.  But. . .Kaji counted it out for me, and I've definitely gotten enough to rebuild the town.  Maybe even hire a few elephants to carry Kaede around when she needs to go somewhere."  The room stared at her like she had done crazy.  "What?"

They shook their head in a gesture of giving up.  "Ok, now, Miroku, you know your way around the area."  He nodded.  "Tomorrow, I want you to go and find a place to hire people with the money and bring them here to repair the place."

". . .Why me?"

"Because.  Get some rest, you're gonna need it."

He stood up, and walked off into his room.  Megan did too, and called over her shoulder, "I'll come too.  You'll need _someone_ to help you."

He looked at her for a moment, and then smiled.  "If you _want to wake up at five in the morning to accompany me, you're welcome to do it."_

She smirked.  "Demons don't need as much sleep."

Inuyasha snorted to himself.  "Of course, that only really counts if you have more that a little demon in you."

She scowled at him, and then went off into the room she shared with the rest of the girls.  She stared at the still form of Ang, who hadn't moved yet.  The moonlight was bright enough to laminate the girl's pale arm.  She frowned to herself.  _Has she always been so pale?  "Ang. . .hurry up and wake up, ne?  Some of us are kinda worried. . ."_

But, of course, there was no answer.  Megan sighed to herself, and laid down to sleep.  Soon, the sound of her snoring drifted around the room.  Ang slowly opened her eyes, but did not move.  She looked around.

_. . .Who's worried other than Biiru?_  She glanced down at her arm.  _I can't go out there. . .they'd all see.  The moon makes them really easy to see, and they'd all _know_ I had these scars._  She gulped silently at the thought.  _Of course, they might not be able to tell._  She looked with annoyance at a few dark blotches on her skin, which looked like what her skin should have looked like under the moonlight.  The rest of her flesh was covered in scars, making it a few shades too light.

She closed her eyes again.  _Tomorrow.  Then, I'll have a little more energy.  I'll be able to deal with all these people._  She frowned as she drifted off to sleep.  _Why am I regaining my energy so slowly, anyway?_

Meanwhile, an argument had ensued outside, over whether or not Inuyasha was demon enough to enjoy the benefits, and finding himself sorely outnumbered.  Akira and Biiru had teamed against him, but Kagome hadn't taken a side.  So he was left to argue things he wasn't even sure about with people who had grown up with it.

It was a pretty funny sight.

Eventually, the group drifted off to bed.  Inuyasha muttered he was going to stand guard outside, since otherwise he'd lose the whole argument, but ended up sleeping very well in his tree.  Akira was continuously yawning, although declaring she wasn't tired in the least.   Biiru finally said he wanted to be able to stay awake the next day, and they all scattered.

~*~

Miroku woke up early the next morning, and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.  It always helped him to wake up when he stared at something, and staring at Biiru was a little too odd for him to do.  Finally, he woke himself up enough to go out and leave.

When he managed to crawl into the main room, however, Megan was already waiting for him.  He stared at her in shock.  She shrugged.  "Here's your pack.  We can eat later.  Let's go."

He nodded, and took it from here wordlessly, and then yawned.  "Fine. . .what made you want to get up this early, anyway, crazy person?"  He looked outside.  "The sun came up. . .two minutes ago.  Just a little crazy, ne?"

She shrugged.  "I said I'd come."

"Crazy."

"Lazy."

The two walked out of the hut, silently arguing if it was worse to be crazy or lazy.  Eventually, they were long gone.  That was when Inuyasha's sensitive ears-which were more awake-heard something.  He slowly opened his eyes, and turned to look inside through the window.  There was. . .well, it looked like a lump sitting on the ground.  He quietly jumped out of his tree and padded into the hut, and stared at the lump.  Finally, he walked over and poked the lump.

". . .Ow. . ."

He sat down, and rolled his eyes.  "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you that."

"Yeah, but I'm a _healthy hanyou, you're a __dying Priestess.  Slight difference there."  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.  "So I guess you're feeling better, if you're up.  You were awake last night.  Why didn't you come out?"  She looked at him in surprise.  "Yeah, I knew you were awake.  Kagome pretends to sleep too often for me to not notice now.  So are you better or are you going to pretend to be asleep again later?"_

"No.  I need to figure out why it is that I'm regaining energy so slowly.  Because by now I should be okay-better than okay, truthfully.  I need to ask Biiru what's wrong. . .he can get a better answer than I can.  And he knows more."

Inuyasha shrugged, and leaned back.  "Not my business."

Ang looked at him with a rather blank expression on her face, and then resumed starting at the ashes in the room.  ". . .Since when have you minded your own business?"

"Need I remind you that I am a healthy hanyou, you're a dying Priestess."

"And you realize Akira and Biiru would French-Fry you if you tried to attack me?"

"What's a French-Fry?"

"A small bloody thing that half-demons who attack Priestesses are turned into."  He stared at her incredulously.  "What?  Ok. . .it's really a small yellowish that the _once was a potato before it was dropped in a vat of oil and grease and then it turned yellow.  And you eat them.  'French-Fry' is a term for 'kick your ass.'  Questions and comments go to www.idon'tcare.com."_

"Dot com?"

She sighed, and looked at the ceiling.  "Some day, I'm gonna take you all to our time.  You'll have fun there, I think.  It's very different.  But it's also fun.  I think it's safer there.  Then again, you'd probably try to take out a car, so maybe it's not as safe for you as I think it would be.  But-"

"Ang?"

Inuyasha turned and looked at Biiru, but Ang didn't move.  "Hai, Biiru?"

"You're up now."

"Yeah."  A very tired tone Inuyasha hadn't heard before crept into her voice.  She seemed tired of. . .Biiru.  And he had been in the room for ten seconds.

"So you're feeling better now.  That's great!  All right, do you need anything?  Do you want something I can get you?  Like a drink, some food or something?"

"Biiru. . .just get me some water from the spring, please?"

"Sure thing.  Be back in a few minutes."

The Priest practically ran out of the room, leaving Inuyasha to stare at his retreating back in shock.  "He's like. . .your little servant.  Why don't you take advantage of it?"

"Because I don't _want him to be my little servant!  I want him to be a normal person, and stop chasing me around, and doing things for me.  I just wish. . .he'd go away. . ."_

Inuyasha sniffed the air, and growled at her.  "Blood."

She looked up in surprise.  "What?"

He grabbed her arm, and let his claws dig in enough to hurt a little.  "Why do I smell blood here?"

She looked down at her arm.  "Oh. . .I was considering a spell, it's habit for me to break the skin when I'm about to cast a spell.  After all. . .I'm a blood mage."


	19. Lage Task Forces

4/23: This is my other chapter, since Akira nearly took my head off for not updating for three weeks.  Not that she's reviewed the last one anyway.  Oh well, the next one is started, two pages into it already.  *sigh* Akira, you'd better be _so_ happy. . .

Well, as usual, I own nothing, but I'll be damned if I don't break into her house one day and steal everything.  I've also made a decision that since certain other people reading over my shoulder wake up at four in the darn morning, I will too.  Gives me more time to type, ne?  Maybe I can go to-*gasp*-_two_ chapters a week!  *gasp* *other noises of amazement*

Well, I've made this part before I wrote down the actual chapter, so it will be updated as I think of things to add.  It's my little journal of updated-ness.  I'm going to add something probably every day, so you can _see me procrastinate._

4/24: Another update. . .I'm going to start typing it now.  Yay!  But only because I didn't bring the papers for my original fic, so. . .this becomes my last option.  *sigh* Oh well.  At least it'll get posted earlier.  And waking up at four may do wonders for your energy levels, but I feel sick.  *whine*

I remember why typing in ComSci gets so much done. . .I'm on page two already!  Yay!  Look at me go. . .

4/28: Heh-heh. . .it's a little past four in the morning. . .typing this up and eating Fritos. . .yum. . .I have like eight quotes I now have to use in this story, darn it, and plot of this story actually starts in this chapter. . .meaning the end is nigh!

~*~

"A what?"

"Blood mage.  Magic by blood, bleeding sorceress. . ..whatever you want to call it."

"I _heard what you said," he scowled.  "My ears are good for hearing, not just playing with.  What __is it?"_

She didn't answer at first, but frowned lightly, and closed her eyes, obviously deep in thought.  After a moment, the smell of blood from the cut had that sprung up on her arm faded, and the cut slowly shrunk, eventually not even leaving a scar.  She sighed in relief.  "I don't need blood for them.  I'm a blood mage.  One who uses blood with magic.  Healing spells aren't normal spells."

". . .Is that supposed to help me?"

She sighed again, this time in annoyance.  "That's the dictionary definition of blood mage, anyway."

"The what?"

"Never mind.  Being a blood mage means my spells are only castable if I use blood while casting them.  It gives them more power.  Hence why you can actually smell the blood I use when I cast smells."

"What about Akira and Biiru?  They haven't been bleeding everything they've cast a spell."

"Biiru hasn't cast any serious spells yet, and Akira hasn't either.  Biiru is a blank mage, anyway.  He doesn't use anything to cast spells.  Most mages _are blank mages.  Akira is a fire mage, probably the. . .third most common type.  There are a few very common types of mages, and then there are types like me.  Rare types._

"Common mages?  Good thing there aren't many of you, people would be bleeding all over the place."

"Blank mages are the most common.  A blank mages doesn't need to use anything on a spell; their spells aren't powered by anything other than the actual mage.  Then there are fire, water, thunder, ice, plant, and animal mages; they're the next common kinds.  Blood mages are in the bottom three in population, I'm willing to bet.  But. . .that's because blood mages have the highest death rate of all the mages."

". . .Are they the most dangerous?"

"No.  The most dangerous mages are all gone now.  They were killed.  Death mages were the most destructive mages to ever exist.  They could only use their powers with the power of death."  She looked back at the girl's side of the hut.  "I think Kagome is a blank mage.  She hasn't cast anything. . .but I don't feel anything.  Usually you can feel something from mages, but blank mages don't give anything off."

He nodded.  "Good.  I don't think I'd be able to deal with her running around constantly bleeding everywhere. . ." Realizing what he was saying, he stopped and shrugged.  "Not that it's important to me. . ."

"Course."  She looked around.  "Where _is _that old hag?"

"Kaede-baba?"  Ang nodded, and Inuyasha shrugged.  "Dunno.  I thought she'd had woken up by now, anyway.  She's certainly lazy."  Inuyasha paused for a moment, his ears perking on his head, swirling around and listening to something.  Ang tried hard not to stare at them, but they were too interesting to ignore.  "Biiru's back."

Ang didn't comment on the look on his face, since she was pretty sure she had the same expression.  He looked like the idea of Biiru walking into the house was the worst idea he had ever heard of.  Ang didn't particularly want him to come in, either.  She sighed to herself.

A few seconds later, Ang could hear Biiru walking down the path, and the bucket of water swaying back and forth.  He walked inside with a vibrant smile to counteract her weak grimace, and put the bucket down in a corner.  He sat down next to Ang, much to her chagrin.  "So, how ya feeling now?"

"Better. . .Biiru, why isn't my energy coming back?"

His smile faltered, but he plastered it back securely in a few seconds.  "Ang. . .you mean it's not?"  She stared at him.  He shifted guiltily on his spot on the floor.  "Well. . .do you have an idea why it's not?"

"Iie.  But I think you might."

"Well. . .ano. . .Shi gave you a lot of energy a while ago, didn't she?"  Ang nodded.  "Since you're not her priestess anymore, she doesn't need to be worrying herself over you and your energy levels.  In fact, you're pretty damned lucky she didn't just take all your energy to begin with."

"Nani. . .?"

"She's letting you regain your energy, before fully removing all of the energy she loaned you.  She could have _killed you if she had simply taken it all without letting you heal yourself first."_

"Biiru, what the hell are you saying?"

"I'm saying, you were _dying_!"  Biiru jumped to his feet, glaring angrily at her, the expression totally out of place on his face.  "Dying!  You've been dying for months down and I'll be damned if you even realized that you were in the least bit of danger!  Shi has kept you alive, by essentially forcing energy into you, even when your body was trying to kill itself!"  He took a deep breath.

"Biiru, calm down. . ." He turned around in surprise, to see Akira standing nearby with a look of apprehension on her face.  She smiled gently, the smile having an obvious calming effect on the Priest, and then ruefully shook her head.  "You woke everyone else up.  Kagome is trying to get back to sleep, I think, and Kaede has been awake for some time, tending to some of her more delicate herbs."

"Ang."  She turned to look at with frowning hanyou with an absolute blank look on her face.  "Daijobu ka?"

"Hai."  The answer seemed instinctive, not actually an answer.  Her tone was as empty as her face, a slight waver in the one word answer.  "Daijobu."  She stood up, but kept her eyes focused on Inuyasha, rather than look around the room.  "I. . .I'm going to take a walk."  She walked out of the tent, shaking slightly.  Inuyasha kept his eyes on her, waiting for the usual scent of blood to drift back to him with the wind.

Akira stepped in front of his line of sight, distracting his rapt attention.  "Let her go," she whispered, making sure the empty miko didn't hear her.  "She needs to think right now."

"She's dead."

Biiru winced, but looked away, unable to argue the hanyou's point.  Akira shook her head, a look mirroring Ang's in her eyes.  "Iie, Inuyasha.  She's just as dead as Kikyo is, except she never truly died.   She was artificially given life, but she never felt the actual emptiness of death.  But it haunts every move she makes, it's evident in her eyes. . .you're seen the blankness that takes over them sometimes."

"She should be dead."

Akira took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.  "She is alive."

"She ought to be dead."

"She's alive!"

Inuyasha stared at her in surprise.  The usually genki kaji no miko (Authors note: that means something like "the hyper priestess of fire.") had just screamed in his face, causing his exceedingly sensitive ears to flatten on his head.  A low growl unintentionally escaped from his throat before he could quell the instinct.  He didn't want to fight Akira with the given circumstances.  "Do you want me to take this outside," she asked, in a deadly low voice.

Much as the hanyou would have loved to take advantage of the opportunity to fight the miko, he didn't relish the idea had having to try to explain anything he did to the others.  He shook his head.  She back off, breathing heavily.  ". . .Good."

"Akira, maybe _you_ need a walk, too."

She smiled, back to her usual self.  "Nope!  Because _I have. . ." almost as if they had magically appeared, she pulled two packs of something wrapped in layers of plastic from out of her robes.  "Ramen!"  Inuyasha stared in disbelief, unable to decide if she should glomp her for brining ramen, or if he should attack her for being such a strange person.  Noticing his expression, and taking it for happiness over the ramen, she smirked.  "I'll start the pot, ne?"  Unable to say anything else, he nodded."_

As soon as she was completely focused on getting the pot to boil without breaking it somehow, he looked at Biiru. "Is she always like that?"

"Like what?"  He seemed immune to the way she had just switched from full-blown fury to calmly cooking.

"Changing back and forth."

He looked confused for a moment, and then nodded.  "Oui."  Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief, and Biiru allowed a small smile to come back onto his face.  "It's not as bad as you think.  She's usually happy."

Inuyasha nodded, and looked at the water Akira was watching.  He glanced out the window, overtaken by the strangeness of the whole situation.  _It's not even noon yet, and today is already really damn weird.  He watched one lone bubble float to the top of the pot.  __And who the yell eats ramen this early, anyway?_

~*~

Kagome slowly opened her eyes.  She had managed to fall back asleep after Biiru had startled her awake, mainly because Akira had promises her she'd deal with him.  But now, she could smell ramen cooking, and her stomach demanded to be acknowledged.  But she didn't want to move, either.  As soon as she went into that room, she'd have to cope with those three crazy Priests.  She kind of wished they'd leave.  But they did keep things. . .lively, although usually this age was known for that.

Eventually, the call of the ramen was too great for her stomach to ignore, and she crawled out of her room, and looked sleepily around.  Akira was silently watching the pot, Biiru looked like he wanted to go run outside and check something, and Inuyasha was a mixture of uneasiness, annoyance, and confusion.

"A watched pot never boils, Akira."

"Unless you kick it."  Kagome chuckled.  These two were okay, but Ang was a little. . .out there, to be nice about it. And she was rather high maintenance.  Akira poured some of the ramen into a bowl, and offered it to Kagome.  "Want some?"

She politely accepted, and Akira poured another owl, and held it out towards Inuyasha.  "Here."  He shook his head.

"I don't want any."  Everyone stared at him in shock, Akira nearly dropping the ramen bowl.  "What?"

Kagome walked over, and put a hand on his forehead, and then shook her head.  "He's not sick."

Annoyed, he brushed her hand off his head, and stood up, giving everyone a half-hearted glare.  "I'm going outside to find Ang.  The ways she's out of it right now, she'll walk right into my brother without realizing it's not a bush or something."  With that said, he walked out.

Kagome watched the swinging mat, confusion stewing in her mind.  _Is he. . .actually worried about her?_

"Oi, what's wrong with _him_?" Miroku poked his head in the hut, and pushed aside the mat, a huge grin on his face.  Megan followed him inside, a huge grin on her face.

"You guys are back early.  What happened, did you forget something?" They shook their heads.  "Then what?"

The smiled at each other.  "You remember how much smoke there was when the town went up, right?  When it first caught fire?  A large village, pretty far away, actually, they saw it, and thought it might be dangerous, so they were worried.  They sent a huge freaking task force of warriors and demon exterminators to check it out.  We told them what happened, and how we needed help and that there was money involved, and they agreed to rebuild the town for us!"

"How close are they?"

"Half an hour.  They're sending scouts around to 'check for nearby threats and dangers to the welfare of those you are protecting,' or something like that.  They want to pretend this is still a serious military mission, I guess."

Biiru looked at Akira.  "How far do you think Ang could walk in how long she was gone?  Around an hour, I think?"

She shrugged.  "I don't know, pretty far, I'd guess."

"And how quickly do you think Inuyasha could catch up?"  The duo looked uneasily at each other.

"What are you saying?"

"A hanyou could be considered a threat, especially one as strong as Inuyasha.  I'm positive those scouts will see him as a danger, and not realize he won't hurt them.  The scouts will attack him if he doesn't make it to Ang and back within a half an hour or so.  And it if makes it to Ang, they might think he's attacking her if he tries to get her to come back."

"What should we do then?"

"No one here could even hope catch to catch up with Inuyasha now.  So nothing.  There's nothing to do except wait for him to get back. . .if he does."


	20. Black Mage in Action

A/N: . . .Ok, I'm lazy.  Sumimasen.  I have had this chapter done for ages, and it hasn't wanted to be typed, I swear.  It was missing for a little bit. . .*good thing Akira didn't know about that ^^* But, here it is, all lovely and longish.  . . .Ok, it's not too long.  Get over it.  I've finally got a _plot going.  Yay!  But I have a good idea for another fic, so if there's a _really_ long break. . .we all know where I am, ne?_

. . .Ok, maybe it is long. . .

~*~

_Ningen no baka!_  Inuyasha kept bounding through the trees, ignoring the numerous tree limbs that snapped at his presence, completely focused on his task; finding Ang.  The scent of something foreign to the area was thick in the air, and despite himself, Inuyasha had to admit he was worried for the priestess.  _It was a shock for me, when I discovered Kikyo was dead.  That I should have been dead.  It must be worse for her, and. . .I'm the only one who really understands a little of how she feels._  He growled in annoyance.  _Why dies she have to get lost at the one time I can feel something is wrong around here?_

Suddenly, he felt something zooming towards him, and let his instincts take over.  Without even realizing it, he jumped, and felt w wind blow right by his left foot, nearly hitting it, and run into a tree with a sickening _thump noise.  He looked at it; time seeming to freeze as he slowly landed a few feet away, recognizing the familiar power signature of a purifying arrow.  _Kuso. . ._  "Ang!"  _Who the hell shot that arrow?  It wasn't as powerful as Kikyo. . .a little stronger than Kagome. . ._ "Where __are you?"_

He heard a faint answer, but all he could pick up from the voice was that it was Ang, and that she was surprised.  Probably because someone had bothered to follow her.  He ran towards the direction the voice had drifted from, and finally skidded to a stop near a small opening between two trees.  Ang looked like the chances of her meeting him out here were as remote as the chances of Kagome coming to the feudal era dressed as a large dog bone, and then tried to teach Inuyasha how to roll over.  "What are you doing out here?"

He read the underlying message, _did they send you or are you here because you want to yell at me yourself, with very little difficulty.  Her eyes still looked like windows of pain.  Inuyasha couldn't help it.  Even _he_ felt a little bad for her.  A little._

"There's something out here, I think.  You must be pretty upset if you can't feel it.  We've gotta get out of here and somewhere safe before we know what to do."

"What about Miroku and Megan?  They're out here somewhere, too.  Maybe we could find them and work together, or something.  And I don't really feel. . ." She trailed off, looking a bit confused.

"You feel _something, you just don't know if it's a threat or not.  Megan and Miroku left a long time ago, and they're probably pretty far away by now.  I don't like not knowing what's here.  We can go back to the tent, get Kagome, and-"_

"Kagome and everyone else."

"Whatever.  And then we can make a battle plan.  But it's safer if we have everyone here so no one can be used as a hostage or whatever.  Do you agree with me?"

"Why is it you think something is going to attack us, Inuyasha?  This place seems safe enough to-watch out!" Suddenly, she jumped up, and put as much weight as she could on Inuyasha's shoulders, which would have forced a normal human down.  Inuyasha went down because of instinct; she wanted him to duck for a reason.  Then he felt another ripple of power, and realized it had been hidden.  If she hadn't reacted, he'd be. . .purified.  Ang made a small choking noise.

Dreading the answer, Inuyasha looked at her.  "What the hell was-" He stopped short when he noticed there was a stub of an arrow poking out of Ang's arm, while she stood clutching her arm, blood staining her hands.  She was choking in pain.  _That arrow was meant for me.  It's supposed to be killing me right now, not her!_  "A-arigato. . .domo arigato. . ."

"I'm putting a shield up," she whispered quietly.  She turned to face him, and he realized belatedly she was shaking, and a small layer of sweat had appeared on her face.  "Don't move.  Getting caught in the middle of a shield can literally rip you apart.  I've seen it happen."  He nodded, deciding not to comment.  He watched the area the arrow had come from with serious apprehension.  _If I can't move. . .how am I gonna dodge an arrow?_  Ang shook her head in annoyance, almost as if she had read his thoughts.  "You can _dodge,_ baka," she hissed.  Inuyasha glanced at her, worried for her again.  She certainly didn't seem like she had a lot of energy, and her arm was hanging limply.  She followed his gaze.  "I'll. . .heal it.  After the shield is up."

Inuyasha returned his gaze to the place where the arrows were coming from.  "Stop stalling and put the damn thing up."  _Why doesn't she just pull the damn thing _out_. . .?_

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her touch the arrow wound with a slight wince, and let her hand come away, covered in blood.  She leaned over, and began to walk slowly in a large circle-shaped path, wiping her hand on the grass as she went.  When her hand was too clean for blood to come off, she touched the wound again, refusing to allow it to stop bleeding.  The woods were silent, making Inuyasha very uneasy.  The animals had already fled.  Something bad was happening.  The scent of blood as heavy as what she was using should have been enough to call in several predators, but nothing was even moving.  Inuyasha watched her, slowly forgetting the danger they were in with interest in the strange spell.  "What are you-"

She suddenly stopped, and the twisting trial of blood she had left behind her pulsated eerily, in beat with something.  She lowered her hands, and the beads sunk into the grass, staining the circle of grass red.  She raised her right hand, and Inuyasha felt the air around him tingle, but he couldn't see, hear, feel, smell, or taste anything different.  It just was.  Ang was watching a place somewhere above their heads, until she finally raised the left hand to meet the right, and made a confusing motion with her arms.  She sighed, and visibly relaxed some of her tense muscles.  She looked around, apparently satisfied with whatever she had done.  "Come on over here, I need to test the shield."  He walked over, still looking for this shield.  She grabbed his arm, and pulled him backwards, keeping something behind her in her sight.

Abruptly, she released his arm, and took another step backwards.  A ripple surrounded her, as if she had just stepped through a bubble of air into the sea and the bubble was rippling.  Inuyasha stared at it with a mix of intrigue and fear.  "Daijobu, that's so you can tell where it is."  He nodded slowly, but didn't trust it.  If she could just step out, how good of a shield was it?

While he was distracted, she grabbed his hand and jabbed his finger with something sharp.  "Na-nani?!  What the hell that that for?!"  He yanked his hand out of her grasp and back inside.  Ang swung her arm down, as if she was going to stab him.  Inuyasha jumped backwards, but it was unnecessary.  As soon as her arm connected with the shield, it rippled, and practically knocked her backwards.  She released her small weapon, which shattered, ripping her robes with some of the pieces.  She smiled, and nodded.

"It works."

"What the hell did you stab me for?  And you tested it on me without even knowing if it worked?"  The hanyou, understandably, was not too pleased with the miko at the moment.  He hand, although it wasn't a bad wound, stung pretty badly, and being ensnared in a small. . .bubble didn't feel too good either.  He was seriously plotting different painful deaths one person could die.

"Testing the shield."

". . .You gonna explain that?"

She rolled her eyes.  "Hanyou no baka. . ." She smirked at the growl.  "Oh, it's so cute when you growl."  She stuck her tongue out at him as he went slightly red and tried to claw her to death and not leave the shield at the same time.  "I'll explain it, teiryuu already."  She stepped back inside the shield, causing another ripple.  Inuyasha scowled at it.  He didn't like the ripples that went through the whole shield.  It made it appear. . .weak.

"This is a shield.  If you didn't know that, you need to go shoot yourself or something.  Anyway, the blood I spread generates it.  The blood sends energy waves into the air, directed by the motions I was making after I drew the circle.  When I sealed it, the energy formed a lid, in a sense.  Make sense?"

Inuyasha shook his head.  "Absolutely not."

She sighed.  "Okay.  When I spread the blood, I spread energy with it.  The blood is what makes the energy that I use work.  The energy doesn't turn "on" until I complete the circle, and then summon it.  When I put my hands down.  When I was raising my hands, I set the height, and then closed it, so nothing can attack up from above.  It's not fun to be burnt because your own shield won't let the fire out.

"Anyhow, it works by the energy I spread.  The blood sends the energy up, and it is invisible, but solid to everyone who means no harm to us.  If they had ill will in their soul directed to anyone inside the shield, they can't come in.  That's why my knife shattered; I was going to stab you."

"You know I'm too fast for you."

"Exactly why I didn't warn you.  But I could jab you, because it was not will ill intent.  So we can be surrounded, until someone tries to hurt us, the shield won't show itself.  It ripples, though.  I can' figure out why, but. . .it does.  I'm still working on that."

"Matte. . .are you saying that I'm stuck in your weak little shield?"  He looked around in annoyance, and Ang glowered at him.

_"It's not weak!"_  She knocked him on the head, and he winced.

"Itai, itai, itai. . ."

"Hn.  For your information, this is a perfect shield.  It'd take three demons to bust it down.  Three _strong_ demons.  And you're not stuck, baka.  You can step out all you want-if you want, you can skip all around the sides.  But wait until I have a camera for that, ne?  Basically, you want to live, you stay in the shield.  _Your _choice."

He smirked.  "I think I'm against the idea of being locked up like a dog.  Besides, being shot at is fun."  He stepped outside, and then quickly jumped back when a volley of arrows flew directly at him.  "What the-?"

". . .Still like being shot at?"

"Shut up.  Who the hell was that?"

"Where _are_ they?"

"Who, the archers?"

"Iie, baka, the toaster strudels.  Of _course_ the archers!"  She looked around.  "There are a bunch of strange things around here, people included.  I'm surprised you didn't notice when you came to find me."

He shrugged.  He wasn't too keen on admitting her had been so worried about finding her he hadn't really absorbed the small details.  "Well. . .are we just gonna be sitting her all day, then?  Or until they leave?"

". . .I see this is several different ways.  We could wait until we know what's there, and then run, or fight it.  Or we could run now, and never come back."

He winced at that idea.  "You want to run from an enemy that we haven't even seen yet?"  He shook his head.  "I'm not that cowardly."

She shrugged.  "Whatever you want.  But that jump from the arrows was pretty a impressive display of bravery."

"At least I went out there."

Their attention was drawn away from their idle bickering, and to a small rustling outside of the shield.  A small army of archers had just. . .materialized from the bushes, from Ang's point of view.  To Inuyasha, they were creeping, but very badly.  And loudly.  The whole group had their arrows knocked and pointed right at the duo.  Inuyasha frowned.  "They couldn't have been firing those arrows before, could they have been?"

She shook her head.  "They don't have any power, holy or not.  I can't feel any from them."  She frowned, glanced in another direction, looking at something Inuyasha didn't see.  "That person plans on remaining hidden a little longer."  She ripped her gaze away, and turned back to Inuyasha, and pointed at his bleeding hand.  _Should have stopped by now. . ._ "Let me see."

"It's fine.  Don't worry about it."

She sighed.  "It shouldn't still be bleeding.  I want to make sure I didn't slip any poison into it."  He laughed at his shocked face.  "I'm storing as much blood as I can get for the time being.  Your blood isn't sacred or anything, you know."

Biting back his sarcastic retort, he let her see his hand.  If she wanted to cast crazy spells in every which direction, she was welcome to doing so.  She pulled a pebble out of a pouch from inside her robes_-odd, I never noticed those before_-and kneeled, pulling him down inelegantly next to her.  She smirked, but managed not to laugh at the grass she didn't mention in his hair.

She held the pebble under his finger, and watched a single drop fall onto it.  The rock practically sizzled when they touched, and Inuyasha tried to jerk his hand away, but Ang's grip was too strong.  _Kuso!  What the hell is she doing?!_  The blood near the cut all began to flow quicker, and move towards the pebble.  Soon, the skin was turning pale color, and Ang stopped, and the small cut healed.  The pebble was no longer gray, but now a pale pinkish color.  She smirked, and stood up, and walked through the shield, and stood directly   in front of the archers.  They snapped at her in another language, and she looked utterly shocked.  She threw the pebble at them, and yelled something, and quickly stepped back into the shield.

The stone exploded.

The archers screamed in pain as a shower of sharp shards fell out from the pebble, reminding Inuyasha vividly of the time when Kagome had broken the Shikon no Tama.  Although no serious damage appeared, Inuyasha noticed all of the cuts were bleeding abnormally. . .heavily.  He looked at Ang, and heard her murmuring quietly, "Mas sangre, mas sangre. . ." Inuyasha sighed, and shook his head.  _What is with her and foreign languages?_

"Ok. . .what the _hell _was that?"

"Do you mean what was the spell I as muttering, or what was the bomb?"

"Either or will do nicely."

She smirked.  "I was murmuring the calling of the subset of the class of spells which, when cast, increase the amount of blood I have to work with.  In order words, I was casting a spell that _made _them bleed more.  The phrase is the actual spell, just. . .condensed.  The _real_ spell is about four minutes of chanting, but the short thing I was saying just lets me say it quickly so I don't die while waiting for it to cast."  Inuyasha nodded.  Amazingly, that had made sense.  _I gotta get away from her. . ._ "The explosion was the pebble I was using.  It absorbed that blood I borrowed from you, and since I can manipulate blood, I politely asked it to explode as soon as it was far enough away."

". . .Politely. . .asked?"

She scowled.  "Fine, I just blew it up.  Does it matter?"

Inuyasha felt his head getting light.  All the blood. . .it was everywhere, and it all smelled so much.  It was like the time he had been surrounded by the hell painter's ink, only this was a sweetly sick smell, not like ink.  It was blood, some still dripping down the faces of people moaning in pain.  Her blood, his blood, their blood. . .he nearly choked on the scent.  It was so thick.  Ang frowned, but her smirk returned in a feel seconds.  Heavy blood took a while to get used to.  "My power has returned."  She stepped out of the shield, and Inuyasha noticed a thin line of blood on her arm.  Her blood, he thought.  There was so much, it was hard to tell.  Inuyasha watched as all the blood on the archers began to speed up, dripping faster, and creep towards her.  As if it were alive.  As if it could hear her. . .calling to it.  He watched with morbid fascination how as the blood reached her, as it pooled around her feet, how her face regained color, and she seemed to gain back energy.  She smirked at the now cowering archers.  She looked at Inuyasha.  "I'm switching languages.  They spoke to me in a language I know, so I have to answer in that language.  Gomen nasai."  He nodded.  _Figures she'd know that language, too._

(A/N: At this point on, Ang is speaking another language, and everyone is responding in that one, too.  It's Spanish, if you must know, but just keep in mind Inuyasha has no idea what people are saying.)  She looked around at the bleeding group of archers.  Their morale seemed back up, and they had all raised their bows again.  _Jeez, they just don't know went to stay down. . ._

"Who the hell are you?"

The blood was already on her arm by then, and when they fired arrows in answer to her question, and she raised her arm, and whispered, "shield."  A small, almost flimsy thing appeared on her arm, a spinning circle.  She moved it so all the arrows hit it, and as each arrow hit the thin, spinning disk, they reflected in different directions.  A low murmur went through the crowd.  She put her arm back down, but left her shield on.  She glowered at them, and pointed at the youngest one she could see.  "You.  Tell me."

"Wha-What was that?"  She continued to stare at him, letting him wonder what she was thinking.  "That-That shield thing!  How did you do it?"

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?  I'm not going to tell you how to do it.  Who is firing the purifying arrows at us?  Why are you here?"

"A-A miko from our town came with us.  She's trying to destroy that hanyou.  Isn't he dangerous to travel with?  He kidnapped you, right?"

"No.  I'm with him on my own free will."

He looked surprised, as if he thought she would protect Inuyasha on command.  "Oh. . .well, we were sent to secure the area by another town.  We were sent to find and destroy any threats in the nearby area so reconstruction of the nearby town can begin."

She paused.  "You're rebuilding the town?"  They nodded.  She chuckled.  "Well, then.  Both of us _live_ there, baka!  You should be protecting us.  Ask anyone."

"We have orders to kill _anything _we find dangerous.  And I personally believe anything with any demon is dangerous, as is anyone who would willingly travel with one!"

_. . .Megan is part demon, though. . ._

She glared at him.  "You're lying," she stated flatly.  The boy looked rather nervous.  "The person who hired you was part demon."

"You don't have to believe us.  But a 'youkai' with a sword and a miko who controls blood presents a threat to me.  It's our duty to kill you."

A bored look came across her face.  "Keep telling yourself that. . .ask anyone in the town.  They'll tell you the same story."

"Our orders are to kill all opposition."

"Of you kill me, you'll never get inside that shield."  She gestured at it, allowing it to temporarily be tainted pink.  "You can't get in if you bear me any malice.  And if you want to kill me, the shield won't take kindly to it."  She stepped back inside the shield, and returned it to its transparent state, and let the blood shield on her arm die.  She looked at Inuyasha, and returned to a language he could understand.  "They are gonna kill us."

Taking the news fairly well, he shrugged, and actually yawned.  "What were you all saying, anyway?"

". . .Well, basically just that even though they're willing to admit we're from the town-they're rebuilding it, by the way-we are a threat and they must kill us.  And there's a miko from their town somewhere around here.  But I don't know why they're speaking my language. . .but if we step out now, they'll kill us.  Bastards."

". . .How long can your shield last, Ang?"

She smiled.  "No worries, Inuyasha.  It'll last until _I_ take it down.  They can't break it, you can't take it down unless I do it, but whomever it was firing the purity arrows can probably get it if they can get a good spell on me.  There are spells that would force me to take it down.  But you'd be safe from ordinary arrows; it's the purifying ones that'll get you.  So you might be able to get away. . ."

". . .We get out together.  When we can."  Ang looked at him funnily for a moment, but then shrugged to herself.  _He wants to protect me.  Whatever. . ._ "Don't you know most of the priestesses, anyway?"

She shook her head.  "If I knew priestesses that had lived in feudal Japan, I would be impressed with myself."

He frowned.  "But you know Kikyo."

She smiled.  "Yeah, but Kikyo's different.  She's a freaking legend, Inu-baka.  The guardian of the Shikon no Tama. . .when you're a little priestess, you'd dream about being as famous as her.  You're actually known as her downfall, Inuyasha.  Everyone _knows_ that it was really Naraku, they take some kind of sick pleasure of making it you."  She smiled.  "But the Shikon. . .I'm glad I got to hold it for a while."

He looked at her in surprise.  "Matte. . .I thought you still had it."  _If she doesn't. . .who does?  _He almost growled.  _I can practically see her giving it to Naraku, taking him for some circus baboon. . ._

She shook her head.  "Nope.  I gave it back to Kagome.  Who else would I give it to, Naraku?  I gave it back to her, because I'm well known for losing important things really quickly."  She continued staring at the "ceiling" of the shield, while listening to the people outside the shield.  Inuyasha, after a few minutes, began to as well.

(A/N: If you plug this into the translator, it won't come out right, due to verb forms, all that.  It's translated at the end.  I'm not sure _all_ of it is right, ok?)

"Dónde está ella?"

"No sé, no sé. . .pero, está tarde ahora.  Quiero saber. . .nunca está tarde."

"Sí.  Mira, _este_ chico/perro.  No me lo gusto."

"El chico?"

"No, la chica.  Es bonita, pienso.  _Claro_ el chico!"

"You know. . .if you don't understand what they're saying, then you really aren't going to learn anything by listening to them."  Her face had gotten slightly red at the last comment, but she wasn't looking at anyone.  She had sat down, and was watching a diamond on the ground.  Her eyes were closed, but. . .she was watching it.  It was impossible to explain. She was focusing on the diamond, which made Inuyasha look at it.  He noticed she had put it in a pool of blood, and it was slowly sucking it up, taking on a pink tint that was red where it sat.  Inuyasha forcibly took his eyes off it.

"What?"

"They're waiting for someone.  A girl.  She's late."  She opened her eyes, and examined the jewel on the ground.  An amused look crept onto her face.  "They don't like you, Inuyasha. They think you're rather...freaky."

He shrugged.  _Not the first time.  Their opinion doesn't matter to me anymore._  "So, what are we waiting for?"

"This girl.  I think it might be the priestess. . .some of us have long ranges, Inuyasha.  You _could _believe me."  She frowned at the diamond-turned-ruby.  "She might help us.  But she might not.  She won't if it's their miko, but if it's someone else, there's always a chance.  And we need to get out of here eventually, even if just to get food.  I wasn't planning on an extended trip when I came out here.  I don't like being held up by a bunch of idiotic archers. . ."

"All this blood is making me really lightheaded."  His vision was beginning to swim again, from the puddle of blood she had gathered around her.  She smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry, I'm doing what I can.  It'll be gone soon."  He looked back down at the crystal.  _She's nice when she wants to be._  He noted parts of it were turning as dark as the real blood.  It was sitting in the pool of red liquid now, the archer's blood.  She had pulled all of that blood in the shield with her.  "I'm storing it all so I can use it later."

". . .You are so weird. . ."

"Domo arigato."

He went back to listening to the conversation that was still going on, from a lack of other things to do and an attempt to stop sniffing the blood. (A/N: Ditto last note.)  "Por que estamos aquí?  Tengo una familia en casa, no quiero estar aquí.  Quiero estar con mi familia!"

"Silencio. Sabes que Naraku dijo. No podemos comprender una lengua otra de este. . .espanol. Necesitamos hacer que dijo."

Ang and Inuyasha met eyes.  At the same time, both of then hissed, "Naraku," and then nodded.  Although that was the only word Inuyasha had gotten, Ang had gotten the rest.

"Oh, _shit_!  Anything that bastard's got planned is dangerous, and we can't help now because we're stuck in this damn little bubble!  Damn it, damn it, this is _your_ fault, your shield!  If I hadn't followed you and your damn moodiness, I'd still be back at the house!  Safely!"

She glowered at him.  _So much for our peace._  "I didn't _ask_ you to follow me, you know.  You did that on your own free will."

"Now everyone else is back in the town, and Naraku is gonna kill Ka-mina, because I can't help!"

"He only mentioned his _name_, Inuyasha!  And everyone else knows how to fight!"  _Good thing he doesn't speak Spanish. . ._ She looked back at the jewel, and realized the ground was still wet with blood, but it couldn't absorb anymore.  She put it back in the pouch and put another one on the ground.  _Naraku won't let them go home until they do what he wanted.  Now, what the hell would he want?_

There was a sudden stirring, interrupting Inuyasha's ignored wrath.  Everyone looked over to see a young girl, only a few years younger than Ang, with a bow and arrow, garbed in the traditional Shinto miko's robes.  For a fleeting moment, Inuyasha saw Kikyo.  But then the moment passed, and the harsh face lost all resemblance to the passed miko.  She ordered a few men to do something, in an equally harsh tone, and they slunk off.  She approached the shield, looking at it with distaste.  The archers behind her began to clean their wounds, which were still bleeding mildly, and complaining loudly.

"It is a perfect shield."

Inuyasha blinked.  He could understand what she was saying.  Ang smirked.  "Of course.  I notice you must be following Naraku of your own free will, if you can speak the native language."  Inuyasha stared blankly at her.  "Why are you holding us here, anyway?"

"Naraku wanted the hanyou and long-braided priestess to be out of the way for his next plan, but he wanted them alive.  So we have to wait for you to separate, and then convince you to stick yourself here.  All went off well, obviously.  If you remove the shield, I kill the hanyou, and eventually even your shield won't be enough to block all the arrows.  We will wait for Naraku's orders."  She turned and walked away.

"What do you mean, even me?"

She stopped, and glanced back in surprise.  "The first miko to survive Shi's wrath is not to be held in contempt, Angela."  She looked at Inuyasha, who was about to say a single arrow would not kill him.  "You are not immune to arrows.  You did not die by Kikyo's arrow because Kikyo did not want to truly kill you."

"Don't worry," Inuyasha said as she walked away from the shield, giving orders in the foreign language.  "The others probably wonder where we are, by now."

Ang rolled her eyes.  "Knowing them. . .I sincerely doubt it."

Inuyasha nodded.  "Same."

~*~

"Akiiraa!"  The miko laughed, practically rolling on the floor with glee, and from a sugar high.  "Not fair!"

"I win, I win!"  She grabbed the dice again, and trust them at Miroku.  "Your turn to. . ." She pointed dramatically at him.  "_Lose_!"  Biiru sighed.

They were playing a game Akira had dubbed "take away the snack foods from whoever rolled the dice if you can guess the number they'll roll before they roll."  Akira had control of almost all the Hostess in the room.  Biiru _swore_ the dice were weighted, but she chose random numbers, so. . .he'd work on it.

"Oi, Akira, think we oughta look for them yet?"

"Nah.  I'm sure Inuyasha will smell the food, and then come back!"  _Although it's been nearly four hours. . ._

Kagome laughed.  "My turn. . .Akira, your roll.  Six!"

Akira laughed, and rolled.  The dice bounced like crazy, and then landed behind Miroku.  A small army ran behind him, and Akira practically fell over in shock.  "_Na-Nani?!_"

Kagome laughed.  "Six!  I win!"

~*~

First thing of Spanish:

"Where is she?"

"I don't know, I don't know. . .but, she's late now.  I want to know....she's never later.

"Yes.  Look, that boy/dog.  I don't like it."

"The boy?"

"No, the girl.  She's pretty, I think.  _Of course_ the boy!"

Second thing of Spanish:

"Why are we here?  I have a back at home, I don't want to be here.  I want to be with my family!"

"Silence.  You know what Naraku said.  We can't understand another language other than this. . .Spanish.  We had to do what he said."


	21. Down and Out

Ano. . .well, it's been a long time for me to not update Akira's fic.  Yeah, it's been written for about a week and a half now, but I'm typing it now!  I am!  Akira is watching me type it. . .okay, let me explain my absence, so if it happens again, you'll all know.  I'm currently writing other fics-my Zelda one is getting lots of attention, expect a _long_ update sometime this week, my original story will eventually be typed up-for those who care, the next chapter was written before I started this fic, and I don't feel like translating my handwriting to type it up-and I'm going to be starting at least one-maybe two-new fics soon, one Gundam Wing, another one an Inuyasha fic, another AU, but better than this one.  No originals, based somewhere else. . .I really like the idea for that fic.  I think it will turn out well.  But, onto the fic, I can continue to make excuses later!

Hey, I've hit upon something!  I stopped most of the constant Japanese because people didn't understand it, and I'm too lazy for translations at the bottom, but with the Author's Notes. . .hmmm. . .

Wow, this is going to take forever. . .this was only two handwritten pages!  Arrgh!

~*~

"What time is it?"

Inuyasha tried not to form an overly sarcastic reply, and ended up biting his tongue.  "For the 81st time, I don't _use the same time system as you!"  He glanced at the sun.  Or rather the absence of the sun.  "But. . .from, the shadows, I'd say about hachiji."_

"Oro?  Only eight?"  She scowled, idly wondering when Kagome had taught the hanyou to tell time so accurately.  "We've been stuck here for hours now. . .when are these people going to realize my shield is _not going to break?"  She sighed, and opened a small pouch within her robes, and looked at the small jewels inside the pouch.  Seven or eight of the diamonds were now glowing red, and pulsating with an unholy beat.  The way they had soaked up the blood. . .they gave Inuyasha chills._

Inuyasha ruefully shook his head, and looked out at the group of people surrounding the shield.  They _were_ rather annoying.  They all spoke in that foreign tongue Ang called Spanish, but it was sheer gibberish to the hanyou's ears.  And since he had the distinct feeling they were still making fun of him, he was getting more than a little annoyed with the whole lot of them.  Ang had assured him they couldn't hear a word they were saying inside the shield, but Inuyasha wondered why she had bothered to set that up.  They couldn't understand the pair anyway.  Inuyasha frowned.  "What exactly is Spanish?"

She rolled her eyes.  "For the 82nd time, Spanish is a-"

"A language, I know.  But is it a magic language?"

"Iie.  Why?"

"Wouldn't the dialect of Spanish have changed from my time to your time?"  Ang looked at him with confusion.  "You remember, a while ago, you said Kagome and I shouldn't be able to understand each other, because the dialect of Japanese would have changed.  So, wouldn't the dialect of Spanish have changed too?"

"Yeah. . ."

"So. . .how come you can understand them?"

"Well, if you wanna get technical, the Spanish weren't in Japan at this time period, so you shouldn't even need to be worrying about the dialect changing.  If there were Spanish explorers here, I doubt they'd have made it this far, and these people _are_ Japanese.  They're all learned modern day Spanish."

"But how?"

"Naraku must have had access to some form of modern-day Spanish. . .but I don't know _how_.  He'd have to go back in time or something. . ."

"What about Akira?  Or Biiru?  Or even Kagome?  They all speak foreign languages too, maybe he learned from one of them?  Like. . .he peeked into their brain or something?"

"Iie. . .they're all too strong for that.  Kagome's stronger than you give her credit for," she said at his look.  "Besides, Akira and Biiru know French.  And I personally believe Kagome probably took English. . ."

"Then how would he get the stuff he needed?"

"How many ways are there to go back in time?"

"Only one I know of.  The well."

"Well, I knew that. . .but _how_ exactly do you get back?  A spell or something?"

"Ano. . .I'm not exactly sure.  Ask Kagome.  She's the one who uses it all the time, she'll know."

". . .That's a great plan, Inuyasha.  Except one small problem.  Kagome's not _here_ and I can't get out of the shield to ask her."  She sighed in annoyance. "Baka."

". . ._Do_ you have a plan to get us out of here?"

She shook her head.  "Iie."  She looked up at the sky, then back at groups of men outside her barrier.  She shook her head.  "Get some sleep, Inuyasha.  Tomorrow is gonna suck."

~*~

". . .Akira. . .it's been fourteen _hours_.  They're not back.  Something has gone absolutely, horribly wrong."

_If you hadn't set her off in the first place. . ._ "I know."  Biiru looked at the quiet miko.  She was hugging her knees to her chest, and looking at the door.  The usual genki attitude was missing.  The rest of the group was marveling at Akira's pouch-it had a bottomless supply, and you had to get things out of it with a spell.  Shippo had dropped Miroku's staff, and they were arguing how to get it back.

". . .Well, maybe if we sent Kaede in after it, she'll be able to get back out with her miko powers. . ."

". . .No, how are we gonna get her out if the powers don't work?"

Biiru was worried out of his mind.  He didn't like not knowing what was going on, and if he didn't know what was wrong and it involved Angela, he was likely to have a heart attack.  "We need to find them.  ASAP."

"You feel it, Biiru."  Akira's quiet and flat tone made Biiru worry.  _What does she know I don't?_  "There's murderous ki all over the place. (A/N: Ki is like chi-it's the correct translation.  It means essence. . .it's like an aura, to be simple.) Some of that ki is searching for the stupid jewel."  She gestured aimlessly towards Kagome, who was wearing the half-jewel around her neck, as usual.  "It's better for us to protect the Shikon and wait for them to get back.  After all, the Shikon no Tama is what matters," she added bitterly.  "Ang and Inuyasha will get back fine.  I'm not worried for Inuyasha, and anything that attacks Ang has to worry about both Inuyasha and her."

". . .But still. . ."

"Look, I don't like it either.  But Kaji told me that there are a lot of youkai around here, and they don't really like having four powerful priestesses and a powerful priest in the same twenty feet of each other.  And he's after the Shikon.  It'd be easy for him to kill us and then just steal it, since Kagome can't make full use of her powers yet.  Let's not just go to him and make his job easier."

Biiru stared at her blankly.  "Who's 'him'?"

Akira stared at him like he was the biggest dolt history had ever seen.  And at that point in time, he probably was.  "What, didn't Issey tell you _anything_?"  Biiru shook his head.  "You mean to tell me. . .that you weren't sent here?  You came after Ang on your own free will?"  He nodded.  "Baka!  Naraku. . .he's a local hanyou.  If we're got half of this jewel, he's got the other half, and he's using it.  Well.  When Kaji found out Ang had the Shikon no Tama and Naraku was nearby, he sent me with a message from Shi. . .more of an excuse to get me to come here.  He told me to stay for protection.  So Ang would be in less danger.  He said. . . 'It's not necessarily the jewel that Naraku is after.  If he had Ang, he could sap her energy, and if he had the jewel as well, he could make the jewel even more powerful.'  I'm supposed to be helping Ang.  And instead, I'm sitting here, arguing with her _stalker_!"

"Fuck you.  I'm more worried that you are."

Akira stood up in surprise, and glared at him.  Biiru noted her ki rising dangerously high. He had seen bloodthirsty demons with a lower ki.  "Nani, Biiru-kun?"  The "kun" seemed rather mocking in her current state.

"I'm more concerned about Ang than you are."  Even though he knew he was asking to have his ass kicked, he didn't care.  He was probably more worried than Akira could ever be about Ang.

"Nisemono!"  (A/N: Liar!)

She pointed outside, her ki rising to levels Biiru didn't even know ki could possibly reach.  He realized what she was saying with the gesture, and he felt his face lose color.  "A-Akira, you're _not_ serious. . ."

"Outside."  The word was not a request, it was a cold command.  "Ima."  (A/N: Now.)

He calmed down as much as he could.  Panicking would not help him.  ". . .Do you want to fight me?"

"Hai."  She grabbed the front of his robes, and pulled him to his feet.  _I guess being angry does give you more strength. . ._ "Right now."  She pushed him outside, and then followed him.

"Not here. . ."

"We'll go to that clearing a mile from here.  That's far enough."

Kagome wordlessly shook her head, and looked back at the silent monk.  "They're going to do it again."

"Do what?"

"Destroy the town."

~*~

_She's afraid._  Inuyasha was sincerely trying to sleep.  He was exhausted, since he had been worrying for a little over fifteen hours straight at that point.  But it's very hard for a half-demon with an excellent sense of hearing and smelling to sleep when people were talking all over the place, and there were very smoky fires burning.  Ang was dozing, since her senses were already a little shot from all the magic in the area, and being on the edge of your nerves for hours on end was rather tiring.  Inuyasha could practically smell her fear; it was evident in her body's stance in her uneasy rest.

A sudden excitement drew his attention to the right.  People were yelling something over and over again in the damn Spanish he didn't understand.  There was a lot of pointing going on from people who looked like they were scouts.

In a few seconds, Inuyasha smelled a new fire.  An immense magical fire, burning almost a mile away, but big enough for him to understand it was massive.  It began to become evident over the treetops.  It was remotely similar to a cloud.  Only of fire.  _Oh, _shit_._

"Ang."  He moved over to shake her shoulder, but her eyes snapped open at the mention of her name.  He wordlessly pointed at the cloud, and she cursed.  "Nani kore?"

"Akira.  Akira's ki is out of control."  She looked around, and then smiled in satisfaction.  "They don't know what it is.  They're panicking.  That miko will be trying to calm stuff down. . .it's our perfect-not to mention probably only-chance to escape."  She grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the left.  "This way.  Opposite of the fire."

He nodded.  They carefully slipped out of the shield, and crept through the woods.  Inuyasha was surprised how well the miko managed to silence her movements.  One archer saw them, but when he moved to start the alarm, Ang made a motion across his throat, and a thin line of blood appeared on the man.  He stayed quiet.

The sight of the bolts and bow falling to the ground made Inuyasha think.  He began pulling at his cloak, and managed to get it off with minimum sound.  "What are you doing?" Ang hissed at him.

He tossed it to her.  "Here."  She caught it instinctively and made a motion to throw it back.  "Don't argue with me!  Just _take_ it.  If a miko arrow hits me, then I'd done for regardless of if I'm wearing that or not.  If a regular arrow hits you, you'll be seriously injured, if not killed.  These guys have good aim.  A ningen like you can't take hits very well, and this'll deflect 'em."

She stopped, too surprised to think of a good argument for that.  "A. . .Arigato, Inuyasha."  She wordlessly put the cloak on.

Inuyasha looked a little uncomfortable.  He wasn't used to having to worry too much about other people.  "Don't mention it.  Let's go."

They snuck off, both tiptoeing through the woods and leaving a nearly impossible trail to follow.  Five minutes after the leaves stopped rustling from their passing, the miko's eyes happened to glance at the shield, which was quickly fading.  Her eyes narrowed into little slits.  "Gone. . ."

~*~

"Where are we going?"

Ang looked around.  _We're probably far enough away from the archers. . .they can't hear us now._  She pointed towards the fire.  Inuyasha hadn't been paying attention, so was surprised to see that the cloud was now ahead of them.  "To Akira."

"And _why_ didn't we just barrel through the archers?"

"Because we didn't know where the miko was."

"Keh.  We could have avoided her."

". . .Another miko and a hanyou aren't exactly _small _power signatures, baka."

"Whatever."  They traveled in silence for a few minutes.  "You're crazy.  We could have just ran really quickly."

"Thanks.  I enjoy being crazy."

Ang paused for a second, a blank look temporarily over coming her face.  She reached wordlessly for her bag of diamonds.  "Ang. . .daijobu ka?" (A/N: Are you alright?)

The look passed from her face.  She nodded.  "Ha-Hai."  A worried frown passed over her face, but before Inuyasha could say anything, she started talking.  "Are we almost there?  If Biiru and Akira have a serious fight, with enough time. . .they might be done by the time we get there."

"'Done'?"

"One or both of them will be dead."

~*~

Akira whipped another ball at Biiru, which he blocked with a hasty shield.  _He's getting way too tired, way too fast.  She frowned.  Biiru used to be a good fighter. . .but he couldn't use his own magic on himself.  If he died, no five-minute rule.  She easily knocked his wind away, and prepared for a more offensive blast._

Biiru was breathing heavily.  His strength hadn't really recovered yet from saving so many people during the previous fire.  All the magic he had used hadn't been enough to make him slow or tired, but enough to make his magic weaker.  He wasn't ready to face a fully powered and enraged mage.

Akira held her hands together, and began to murmur a spell.  Biiru tried to distract her and make her miscast, but her shields blasted away his feeble attacks.  Flames began to form around her, the sheer heat smoking grass five feet away from the flames.  Biiru hastily dumped water on the whole area, but Akira's magic flames-which weren't causing damage-weren't hurt at all by the water.

_But if I'm gonna die. . .may as well make sure Akira doesn't accidentally take out any innocent bystanders._  The power behind the flames, where Akira was amassing energy for an attack, was getting far too high to be considered safe for her.  "Akira!"  There was no answer, but that was expected.  Over her flames and his winds, it was hard for him to hear himself.  "You've gotta let go of that power!"

Suddenly, the power sped away from her, and darted towards him.  Cursing, his shield went up slowly, and he felt the last of his defensive magic shatter.  The tail-end of the magic blast caught him, and he went his robes singe.

Akira smirked.  _He's already too weak to defend himself against me._

_Akira. . .give me some of your blood._  She looked up in confusion, and was quickly reprimanded.  _Iie__, baka!  Don't let him know I'm here?_

Ang quickly explained the situation while Akira traded baby blows with Biiru, so she could pay good attention.  _My blood for a spell?  _She paused for a second.  _And how the hell are you talking in my mind, anyway?_

_Spell.  Taking up lots of energy, too.  Hurry up and do it already!_

"All right, all right. . ." Akira carefully took a dagger out, and "accidentally" sliced her arm when she threw it.  The blade was easily deflected, but Biiru noticed the thin line of appear on her arm, but he didn't have enough power to do anything about it.

_Can you get Biiru, too?_

_I could, but I'm _far _too lazy to actually do it._

_Fine._

Ang's voice disappeared, and nearly two minutes later, a small black blob of what looked like ink began crawling out of the woods. Akira distracted Biiru, and he didn't notice it.

Until it was already on his neck.

He tried to pull it off, but it had bitten him or _something, and was shrinking rapidly in size.  Akira realized with a slight sense of repulsion it was going inside him, through his neck.  Ang stepped out of the woods, bringing inside Inuyasha with her.  She smiled serenely at Biiru._

"It's poison. . .don't worry, fast acting.  You'll feel no pain when you die.

Biiru gripped at his throat.  He stared at Ang in what appeared to be a mix of pain, horror, and still admiration as he slowly slumped down to the ground, and his hand slid down to the ground limply.

Inuyasha shook his head.  "How. . .could you do that to him?"

"He got heavily on my nerves."

"He still 'loved' you.  You didn't need to kill him."

"You don't understand why reasoning.  Love. . .or hatred. . .can give meaning to an empty life.  I've just destroyed another empty life, that's all."

Akira shrugged, a little too shocked to be able to react to the fact a friend of hers had just collapsed.  "Ang. . .now what?"

"We can leave, and make this a hell of a lot easier."

Inuyasha practically growled in disgust.  "_Run_?"

"But. . .I wanna know why he chose Spanish.  Let's go find Naraku."


	22. Following a Plan?

Yes, it's been a while. And it's not the longest thing I've ever written.  
But between it not loading on Fan-Fiction, me deleting it and having to re-  
type it, and it being ten already, my "I care" ratio isn't too high. So  
forgive me.  
I love you Akira!  
For some odd reason, I can't get this to format nicely with me.  
So.uh.sorry?  
~*~  
Akira nodded. "That sounds good. But. . .uh. . .shouldn't we deal with. .  
.Biiru's body, Ang?"  
Ang shrugged. "I'm taking the energy left in it." She walked over and  
touched the thing on the forehead. A small sound filled the air, causing  
Inuyasha's ears to stand up. She smirked. "A healing spell. . .I like  
that. . ."  
Akira pouted. "I coulda gotten a life spell out of him. . ."  
"You wouldn't use it." She continued absorbing energy from him, until she  
had refilled all of the energy she had lost from casting her spells. Then  
she set out some more crystals and watched then fill.  
Inuyasha pointed at her. "What the hell is she doing now?"  
"If you take a dead Priest. . .or Priestess, you know what I mean," she  
said, seeing him begin to point at Ang again. "And if you get there early  
enough, you can take most of their energy and add it to your own.  
Sometimes you can even learn the spells they used. An empty miko sometimes  
does nothing but kill other Priests, just to get their powers. Ang. .  
.she's always liked power, it's all she's ever really had going for her.  
She's taking what she wants from Biiru. . .as much as she can."  
". . .How could she just. . .kill him?" Something about her face bothered  
Inuyasha. When she had cast that spell, when she had watched it move  
toward Biiru. . .she had just been happy. Happy to watch him die.  
". . ." Akira looked at Ang. "She. . .she was the Priestess of Death,  
Inuyasha. She was for almost her entire life. All that time, all she  
learned was how to kill various people in various ways at various levels  
and pain, and all sorts of things. . .but all of them relating to death.  
This was. . .well, you Angela, this was a fairly tame death. I thought  
she'd do something worse to him since she hates him so much now. Like. .  
.make him suffer. But she just let him die."  
"Why'd she take your blood for the spell?"  
She smiled. "So many questions, Inuyasha. . .as for that, I don't know  
exactly why. I can only assume she needed it for her spell." She  
shrugged. "She is a blood mage. Her own blood can run thin sometimes."  
They sat in silence for another few moments, watching Angela suck in  
Biiru's energy, like some kind of evil vampire. Inuyasha wondered what she  
really had used the blood for. She had used her own energy and blood as  
far as he was aware for everything he had seen up to that point.  
"Oi," he said suddenly. "You've still got my cloak."  
"Not like I'm getting blood on it, Inuyasha. I'll give it back to you when  
I'm done with it and not before then." She finished sucking her energy  
from the corpse and stood up, without giving the thing a second look. She  
smirked at the two of them, who were watching her with a bit of fear.  
"Quit acting like it was a big loss."  
Akira bit her lip. It was just better not to argue with the girl when she  
had so much energy. If her own magic had been full, perhaps it would have  
been safer to try, but as it was, she was only at about half-power. It  
would have been foolish. Inuyasha said nothing because he didn't think  
anything needed saying. She had killed him for energy in the most cold-  
blooded way she could think of. "What now then, Ang?"  
"Inuyasha. . .I don't know how to say this nicely, so I won't. You may as  
well go home right now. Akira, you've got some energy crystals or  
something, right?"  
She nodded. "What, you're gonna just do this on your own?"  
"You're coming with me, Akira."  
"What about me? Why do you think I can't help?" She snorted and crossed  
his arms. "I'm stronger than both of you put together."  
"Physically. Not magically. You may be strong, but our magic can take out  
far more people and far faster. You'll just be in the way. If we didn't  
see just one miko arrow, you'd be dead." She pulled off his cloak, a  
slightly amused smile coming to her face. "If you want it back so much,  
then take it. Akira and I will be fine-" a sinister light came into her  
eyes. "Besides, aren't we just unwelcome and unwanted guests?"  
Finding himself unable to contradict himself, he grabbed the cloak and  
roughly pulled it back on. Damn it. How'd she remember that? "Fine. But  
then don't come crying to me when you end up dead."  
"That'd be impossible by definition, Inu-kun." He paused at her usage of  
the word 'kun,' and the sickeningly sweet tone of voice.  
". . .Why?"  
"Well, by your own definition, we'd be dead. . ."  
He glowered at her and then jumped off through the trees towards the  
remains of the village. ". . .Ang, what's our plan?"  
"We find that damn miko and find out what exactly she's doing and what the  
hell Naraku is doing and why the hell they're speaking Spanish."  
". . .You really wouldn't care if they were speaking any language other  
than Spanish, would you?"  
She shook her head. "If the man had been content to stick with French or  
something, I would have cared less. But I like Spanish."  
". . .You're weird."  
"Shut up."  
". . .Why'd you send Inuyasha back to the village, Ang? I know you think  
he'd be hard to protect him from the miko, but. . .honestly, it wouldn't be  
that bad, and I'm sure that he could help whatever your plan is. . ."  
"He told me that he's basically dead if that miko hits him. He's dead. So  
I put him out of danger all together."  
Akira blinked in surprise and prodded her arm. "You mean. . .you were  
protecting him, Ang?"  
She scowled. "Don't get any ideas, Miko-san. He's of no use to me dead-  
and he's not much alive, either! I just wanted him out of the way!"  
Akira's smirk didn't help her prove her point too well. "Oh, urusei. .  
.let's get out of here before you get some idiotic scheme in your head and  
turn the village down-again."  
~*~  
Inuyasha stirred up an extra-large cloud of dust in front of the hut as he  
landed. He didn't alert anyone he was there, nor did he bother to wipe his  
feet off before stomping into the hut. Kagome looked up in surprise at his  
surly attitude. "Welcome home to you, too."  
He smirked. "Tadaima, Kagome-chan!" Everyone's dumbfounded stare turned  
his smirk into more of an amused frown. "Prefer that?"  
". . .What the heck happened to you?"  
"Where're Ang and Akira?"  
"Where's the cat-demon-lady-person-thingy?"  
Miroku blinked. ". . .Meg? She. . .left. . .a while ago. . ."  
"Oh." He shrugged. "No more cat smell then."  
"What cat smell? What about Akira?"  
"So much for Ang? Don't feel like asking about her, I guess. Akira's with  
Ang. Kaede-baba, what's dinner?"  
"My name is not Kaede-baba, I'd trouble you to remember. And Kagome is  
making something for us tonight. Be grateful."  
"Keh."  
"Inuyasha." Miroku stood up. "Where is Akira?"  
"With Ang. . .you don't listen well, do you? They're off chasing after  
that damn miko. When's this thing gonna be ready?"  
"Not too long, Inuyasha. Why aren't you with them?  
A bitter smirk came back to his face. "Oh, Ang didn't invite me to that  
party. She didn't think I could cope, so she told me to come back here and  
let her and Akira handle it. Anyone wonder about Biiru lately?"  
"He's with Akira. I'm sure he's fine. . ."  
He rolled his eyes. "Baka. Ang found them fighting. Biiru. . .Biiru-san,  
our dear, dear friend, is now deceased.  
~*~  
". . .So, Ang, what's the plan?"  
"You're my back-up, Akira."  
"What do you mean? Back-up implies duel."  
"That'd be a second."  
"Oh. Well, what does it mean?"  
"I will be going first. You are to throw whatever spell your little heart  
desires at the enemy while I track down that goddamn Miko. Do you  
understand it, Akira? Get it?"  
"Got it, good."  
". . .Never say that again."  
"Not a problem."  
They walked on for a little bit, with Akira looking around. ". . .Do you  
have any idea where she might be?"  
"Iie."  
"Power signatures?"  
"Iie."  
". . .Name?"  
"Iie."  
. . .Anything?"  
"Iie."  
"What, were you planning on her just popping out of a nearby shrubbery and  
yelling, 'Here I am, here I am!'?"  
"No, I was planning on following the mass amounts of screaming and crying  
in Spanish."  
". . .Oh."  
The silence returned at the screams got louder and closer. Akira's fire  
wasn't burning the woods like normal fire. It didn't burn normal things.  
It was simply burning people. They couldn't seem to put it out, and were  
simply burning up. No matter what they did, it wouldn't go out. Akira  
shifted uncomfortably.  
"Ang, it's a magical fire, can't we put it out for them? Otherwise they'll  
never put it out. . .they can't do it on their own, it'll never work. . ."  
Ang gave her a cold stare. "No. Do not put it out. It's aiding us, and  
there's not a point in getting rid of any help we can have."  
". . .Yeah. . .I guess. . ."  
They walked on, between soldiers who were literally on fire. Akira only  
fired on one soldier who had hidden when Ang spotted him. No one else  
dared challenge the two, and Akira didn't think they needed anymore pain.  
They found the miko out of pure luck. She was casting some sort of spell,  
and Ang felt the power in the spell and focused on it. She instantly knew  
exactly where the miko was hiding. She smirked. "She's casting a water  
spell. Best of luck to her." She looked back at Akira. "You can go now.  
I'll get her on my own."  
She blinked out of the area. Akira blinked in shock. She hadn't felt the  
power pulse of Ang's spell at all nor had she sensed the other miko's power  
pulse. Ang seemed to be eerily in sync with her. She had no idea where  
Ang had gone, or anything that'd let her follow the girl. She gulped and  
teleported herself to the little hut.  
Man, Inuyasha is gonna kill me for not bringing that insane girl with me. .  
. "Aw, fuck." 


	23. Things Begin to go Downhill

. . .No, it has NOT been forever since my last update, I swear. This has been written for god knows how long, but. . .I'm a dirty lazy slacker or something. I dunno, shoot me. Anyway, this is part 23, of the soon-to-be-finished fic. I have an ending idea. . .

And yes, that will be the FIRST planned part of this fic. 

And no, I have no idea what happened to the last chapter. It didn't look too pretty, but I have no idea. Sorry! My breaks appear to have broken too, so...; A new style!

* * *

"Heyo, all!" Akira stepping into the hut, smiling broadly. "What're we eating for dinna tanight?"

Everyone stared blankly at her for a moment before returning to whatever they had been doing. Kaede cleared her throat slightly. "Lady Kagome is making something. . .I do not know of it, but she says she likes it, so we must assume that it will be good."

Akira walked over to Kagome, and peered over her shoulder at the mass amounts of food she was cooking. Akira nodded in approval. "Meat. . .veggies. . .salsa, and tortillas. Would it be a fair guess that you're makin' us tacos, Kagome-chan?"

"Yes."

Akira frowned at the slightly curt tone. _Mau._ ". . .Kagome-chan, Miroku-kun doesn't eat beef, does he?"

Kagome paused, bit her lip, and then continued to stir the meat. "I don't think Buddhists are prohibited from eating meat. . .I thought that was a Middle Eastern religion."

Akira shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not too big on religion, y'know."

Kagome sighed a little. "Then why'd you ask?"

"I was just wondering. . ." Akira leaned back a little, making a face. _Maauu. . .everyone is so nice today! Wonder what's got them in such bad moods?_

The door guard swung aside again, and an annoyed white-eared dog padded into the room, not looking at anyone. "We better be having something good for dinner."

Kagome frowned over the meat and scowled. "Short term memory, Inuyasha. You asked me what we were having for dinner five minutes ago, remember?"

" 'It better be good' is not a question is it?"

She sighed, put the spoon she was using down, and massaged her temples. "You sure know how to bring out the worst in me, Inuyasha." She turned and gave him a very dirty look. "You're way too grumpy for me to deal with. Go take a nap or something, before I have to use that thing on your neck."

With a grumble, Inuyasha sat down and leaned against a wall. He glowered at Kagome, and muttered, "Not before I get to eat."

She closed her eyes for a moment and picked up her spoon as he continued to glare. She resumed stirring with a hot plate, and Akira sat down next to it and relaxed in the heat. Kaede and Miroku quietly began to start a peaceful conversation, going on about medicinal herbs, but no one else joined the conversation and eventually they gave up and listened to the meat cooking in silence. This was then followed by the group eating in eerie silence.

Inuyasha suddenly looked up and glowered at Akira, who blinked and swallowed innocently. "Oi. Where's that girl?"

She shrugged, looking down and taking a bite out of the taco and chewing it slowly. "Obviously not here. She's missing dinner, too."

"You mean. . .that you let her run off on her own?"

The group exchanged a look, with a few of them loosing color in their faces. Inuyasha stared at her for a few more seconds. ". . .So, right after she killed one of your friends, you let her run off on her own, into a forest full of people who want to kill her?"

She nodded.

"BAKAYARO!"

* * *

"Hmmm. . ." Angela watched the priestess with a slight sense of amusement. "Quite the novice, aren't we? What is Shi thinking?" The young priestess spells were unable to counter Akira's strong fire magic. That wasn't a surprise, since Akira's magic was very strong, but she was having little to no effect, which was simply. . .pathetic. It was taking her multiple spells to extinguish even small parts of the magical fire. Ang shook her head in disgust. "Pitiful. . .that's why you're aligning with Naraku for the moment, isn't it Shi? You need a Shikon shard. . .you can't afford to have such a weak Priestess. And you're a greedy little bitch, you just want a shard for yourself. That's why you wanted me to go through the well in the first place, wasn't it? You've been after these shards for a while. . .or perhaps it isn't even the shard you're after. Could you be foolish enough to go after the entire jewel?" She smirked a little. "Mau. Too bad I'm here."

Another amused smile came onto her face as she watched the Priestess struggle. "Too bad I don't think that you deserve to have the Shikon no Tama. Maybe I do."

She jumped out of the tree she had been sitting in, purposefully making noises as she shuffled through leaves, slipped a pair of slim daggers into her hands, and began chanting a spell. She smirked as the miko turned around and entered a defensive stance. Angela let her spell finish out, and the extra power she was showing faded away. She shook her head. "Too slow, Miko-san."

"Who are you?"

"Quite possibly the person that you were ordered to destroy. You should be happy you found me, Shi won't be so angry." She looked at the area and shook her head sadly. "And you are pathetic. You can't even put out a simple magical fire?" She murmured a quick spell and Akira's fire spell quickly died away. "You didn't study enough."

"W-What did you just do?"

"Oh, do you need a crash course?" She sighed, and pushed some hair behind her ears. "Well. . .very well. I usually don't give these to people I should simply kill, but I'll make an exception for you. Besides. . .killing a totally defenseless person isn't quite as. . .fun. For every spell, there is a counter spell. For every death spell I can cast, there is a life spell that you could counter with. For every spell that does something, there is a spell that does the exact opposite. The trick is simply knowing the other spell."

"Who are _you_ to question how good of a Miko I am?"

"Quién eres tú?"

The Miko paused in confusion, slightly removing her guard. ". . .That's the same language that all of them are speaking, isn't it?"

Angela smirked. "It's modern day Spanish. It's quite easy to speak. You should learn it."

"Who are you?"

"Why don't you start? It's polite to introduce one's self before demanding another's name."

". . .My name is Aika."

She nodded. "Aika, huh? Nice to meet you. So, tell me, how did Shi contact you?"

". . .How. . .why would you think I would even know what you're talking about?"

"The fact you try to take offense to play it off it a good clue. But anyhow, you _are_ Shi no Miko, are you not?" Aika lifted her head and stood up properly, like an offended lady would.

"Are you asking me?"

Angela moved the remaining feet between them and held a dagger to her throat. "You magic may have the backing of the Goddess of death itself, Miko, but don't forget I once had that power. I know much more about hand-to-hand combat than you do. And Shi can't help you there." She forced the dagger closer to her throat, cutting back on her air a little. "And if you are not aligned with Shi, then you are of no importance to me. If that's the case. . .then I can just kill you now."

"Ma-matte! I am, I am Shi no Miko!"

". . .Why'd Shi send you here?"

"She wanted Shikon shards. She said I should get them here, from this exact time and place. She said to look for a demon-like man named Naraku and to borrow some shards from him."

". . .Not enough power, right? Shi's out for more power again, isn't she?"

Aika nodded. "Yes."

Ang took a step back, removing the dagger from Aika's throat, and then suddenly kneeling and driving the daggers into the ground. "Thank you. I give you ten seconds to run now."

"N-nani?"

"Ten. . ."

Aika stumbled backwards a few steps.

"Nine. . ."

"You can't do that. I have more magical power than you do!"

"Eight. . ."

She gulped and began chanting a spell.

"Seven. . ."

Before her spell could even fully begin to power up, Ang's daggers flashed, the spell she had cast on them earlier beginning to take effect. They flashed blood red, and raised from the ground a few inches, taking her hands with them. Aika's face paled. "That's a. . ."

"Six. . ."

"You didn't! You couldn't have cast that spell unless-"

"Five. . ."

Aika turned and ran.

Angela smirked. ". . .Zero."

* * *

Akira's head jerked up. It had fallen down in the middle of a stupid argument between Kagome and Inuyasha. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to concentrate, and gritting her teeth. "Will you two _shut up_?"

The both paused mid-fight, blinked, and looked at her. "What did you say?"

"I. . .I can feel something. Magical echoes. One from before. . .that was being held back so I didn't feel it. . .and one from just now. Whatever she did, it was huge. She-"

The door swung open. "Konbanwa, minna."

Inuyasha instantly covered his face. "Get out of here!"

The flap closed again, before anyone even had to chance to do more than recognize Ang's voice. Kagome looked over at Inuyasha with annoyance and confusion. "Why'd you say _that_, you idiot?"

"Can't you _smell_ it?"

"Smell what?"

Inuyasha frowned and looked at Akira. "That's right. You all are human, bad noses. Did you. . .see it?"

Akira shook her head. ". . .No. But I can guess at what happened. . ."

"What did she _do_?"

"I have no idea."

"Mind if I come back in now?" Without waiting for an answer, Angela entered the small hut again, with a perfectly neutral expression on her face. Everyone else proceeded to stare at her in total shock and a good deal of horror.

". . .Ang. . .what did you do?"

She shrugged a little. "Not too much, Akira. I went for a walk in the woods, and I ran into that priestess from earlier. You remember her, Inuyasha? She wasn't very nice to me. She was pretty rude. She died, sadly." Ang reached up and wiped a streak of blood on her face, and examined it. She looked down at her arm, which was covered in strips of red. "I think a bit of her might have gotten on me. . .these clothes are ruined. . ."


	24. Cards and Spells

Mmmm, I'm on schedule. Amazing, ain't it? Well...I'm gonna keep another slacking diary to show how much I do-or don't-work on this. Keep in mind, it's been written for weeks now. 

6/15/04: I'm starting to type it...yeah, look at me go...whoa, I'm typing a lot more than I wrote. See that first paragraph? That was only three sentences originally.

BLEAGH! The coffee cake I was eating is bad; I think...it's squishy. And squishy like the part that's supposed to be un-squishy is squishy...I may be sick.

Keh...my hand hurts. I've typed the first part up, and now I'm kinda thinking...hmmm...I have five days to type this, why do it all now? But I won't do it later, and I have to go to field hockey later anyway. I should just do it now and then worry about Take it From the Top, but I'm sorta a slacker. Well, definitely is the correct phrase. -sigh-

Whoa, just deleted this by accident. It's back though, so no worries. Anyway, breaking. Gotta play some GBA.

6/16/04: Yep...gonna write more of this today. I'm renaming some files on the other computer though, so probably not too much. And I gotta RP with a bud as well as consider studying...

Whoa, guess who broke her computer? :xp: Hmm...using the emoticons too much now. I need to get off Gaia. ShinoMiko on there, if anyone cares.

Eep, it seems I gotta run off to hockey practice now. ; So I will have to write later...

6/19/04: I feel so sick.

6/21/04: So why was it not finished? Because I wasn't on my computer. At all. The entire day. sigh And today I start work, so I don't have time to work on it right now...I have to finish it tonight. I don't have much to finish, either...so evil. :xp:

6/22/04: My internet is finally back. Thank god.

* * *

Akira and Kagome both stared glumly at the decks of cards, neither wanting to pick up the cards. They both knew what the cards were going to be, and they didn't want to see another prediction come out the same. Finally, Akira put her hand on her deck and sighed as Kagome did so as well. They both drew their card, but neither of them looked at it. They stared glumly out the window instead, with a slight frown on their faces. Akira idly thought about what sort of curtains she should buy for Kaede.

"...Same card again, Kagome?" She sighed and nodded, flipped the card towards Akira and looking at the piles of cards. "Explain this all to me again, Akira. These cards aren't tarot cards, but you're saying they tell the future?"

Akira began picking up the cards and shuffling them all together. "Well, not really. They can't really tell the future. They're just a way Kaji and I built to talk to each other without him having to come down here."

"So they're like a cheap system of AOL."

Kira chuckled. "Not quite. Imagine using MSN and trying to get the ideas across only by using colors, numbers, and four symbols. That's more of what this is like."

"So why doesn't he just come down?"

"Because, it takes a lot of energy out of him...and me. All in all, this is easier. The ideas are just harder to get across this way. But since Kaji doesn't specialize in the future either, he's not too accurate and it's hard to get what he means. This is for getting across a general idea."

"So what was his idea this time?"

Akira sighed and put her cards on the ground in front of her, so they were both clearly visible. "Ace and King of Spades. Spades are a black suit, and we use them to symbolize bad things. Having a reading with only two spade cards isn't a good thing. The King of Spades is a pretty bad thing on it's own. The King is a way of saying there will be great change soon, the different suits all show ways they'll happen in. Diamonds are relating to wealth, Hearts to love, obviously, Clubs to feelings, and Spades to overall life...or death." Akira paused for a moment in thought. "...Anyway, a great change in life. The Ace means that whatever the change will be, it will have a huge impact on everyone involved."

"...So the prediction is for a bad change for everyone near."

"Exactly." Kagome sighed and looked out the window. "Well, that's not too happy for the rest of us, is it? Inuyasha will be pissed...but it's not a good fortune for her at all, is it?" She stood up and dusted some dirt off of her legs, still thinking. "I'm gonna go on a walk or something for a while. All of this stress is driving me crazy..."

Akira nodded. "Yeah...you're not the only one." Kagome looked at Akira for a moment, confused by the weird tone. Akira didn't seem to be talking about herself, but looking out the window instead. She finally left the hut, deciding that she wouldn't be able to help anyway. Akira leaned against the floor, looking up at the ceiling, thinking.

"...A huge bad change for Ang..."

"_Oi_! Baka no Miko!"

Akira winced. Inuyasha definitely wasn't talking to her, because she could hear him walking away. However, that left only one person he could be yelling at. There was only one other miko around. Only one ill fated deranged miko for him to yell at.

* * *

"_OI_! I'm talking to _you_, kono _baka_!"

"Mau, mau, Inu-kun. No need to be so rude to me. I'll answer you just fine when you call me by my proper name."

He gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll call you _butcher_ then. And I'm not Inu- kun to _you_, you murderer. What the hell is your problem?" He leaned in towards the girl in what any normal person would have found a highly threatening manner.

She smiled. "Why, Inuyasha, that's so nice of you to ask! I'm quite fine though, nothing you could help me with. Just thinking about spells. Do you need anything?"

He blinked and leaned away from her in confusion. He had assumed she'd react like normal people and scoot away, but it seemed he was wrong. "...Uh...no, I...I'm fine." Then he glowered at her again. "You're the one who's not _normal_, you crazy girl! Don't you understand even that? You just blew someone up! You just _killed_ her! Don't you find that at least partially wrong?"

She stared at him coldly, him warm smile fading quickly into a perfectly neutral expression. Inuyasha tried not to visibly flinch. She looked like she was eyeing him up on the spot and deciding if it was worth her time to kill him right away. "I find nothing wrong with killing those weaker than me, hanyou. I merely killed a rival priestess, as you might kill a demon which rivaled you."

"You killed someone who posed no threat to you in cold blood."

"She would have posed a threat to me later in her life, had I allowed her to live. You don't speak Spanish, Inuyasha. I know what they were saying to me. Shi wanted only me to understand. Don't you get that?"

"Well, what were they saying, then?"

"Only I was meant to know, and only I will know. Either way, I feel perfectly justified in what I did. And only that is what matters."

Inuyasha glared even harder at her. "So, that's your idea of fairness? If I kill you because I feel justified in doing it, then everything is fine."

"It's fine to you."

"What about the rest of the world?"

"Look out for number one first and foremost, Inuyasha. I'm surprised you have to actually ask me that question. You know that."

"...What if Akira didn't agree with you?"

"That's her opinion. I won't fight her on it. As long as she doesn't challenge me on my decision, it doesn't really matter." She closed her eyes for a moment, and then sighed. "What do you really want to say to me, Inuyasha?"

"Who else are you going to kill?"

"I don't intend on killing anyone else. It depends on if anyone else is going to get in my way."

"When are you going to leave, then?"

"I don't know at this point."

"Why don't you just leave _now_, then?"

"Inuyasha." She opened her eyes and looked at him with annoyance. "I would, but I know I'm safe here. How can I possibly be any safer? I'm surrounded by people who will fight against anything to protect each other and the town near here. If I stay in the town, then I'm protected by default. Now leave me alone."

"You can't tell me-"

"_Leave_, will you?"

Inuyasha turned around and stalked off, clenching his fists. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't trust the girl at all. At the moment, she was liable to suddenly let loose an attack and possibly kill him without enough of a warning to allow him to escape. He didn't need to deal with it.

* * *

"I want her gone."

Nobody responded to the statement. Kagome and Akira exchanged an uneasy look and then separated, each looking at a spot on the wall. Kaede looked out the window, watching a bird idly and pretending not to have heard the statement. Miroku picked up a glass of tea and took a sip of it in order to avoid answering right away. Realizing no one else would, he sighed and looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I know you perceive her as a threat, but...is she really?"

"Yeah...Inuyasha, she's just unbalanced..."

"Stop protecting her, Akira. There's still bloodstains all over that shirt she's wearing. I went to check out the place that the priestess died at last night. I wanted to see signs of a struggle or proof she wasn't just crazy or something. That's girl's head is dangling from a tree. She tied the head to a tree using it's own hair. Little bits of her are scattered all over the place. Plants under the head are sucking up bits of her and turning colors. I...she is totally _insane_."

Miroku winced at the description of the area. Kagome looked slightly ill. "I am forced to agree with Inuyasha, Kaede quickly said, turning away from the window looking grim. "She has become unbalanced, as Akira says, to an exceedingly dangerous point."

Miroku nodded. Kagome looked out the window, not willing to say anything. She wanted to get rid of the girl too, but felt slightly guilty for feeling that. Akira gulped slightly. "...So, what are you all saying?"

Inuyasha glared at her, a malicious fang-baring smirk growing quickly across his face. "Your friend, Akira, has become a danger to us. We're saying that we want her gone."

"...I can't make her leave..."

"Ooh, no, Akira. Having her leave is just simply out of the question. She'll probably come back and do something horrible to us if we simply force her to leave. Maybe she'd kill us."

"So what are you saying?"

Kagome looked at Akira slowly, thinking of all the things Ang had done and closed her eyes. "...Well, Akira, 'do unto others...'"

Akira shook her head. "I...I follow you, Kagome. But I won't do that. If...if you all want to kill her, then kill her yourself. I'll have no part in it."

* * *

Angela sneezed. She rubbed her nose and scowled slightly, looking up at the sky. It was pretty out today, and she had no allergies. "Mau. They must be talking about me again."

She shrugged. "No matter." She looked back down at the ground, back at the beautiful pattern of the design she had been drawing in the dirt. "...It really won't matter soon, will it? It won't matter very, very soon..." She picked up her daggers again, and walked to the middle of the pattern, into a small circle there. She knelt down in the middle of it, and pulled out her old pouch. She emptied her store of diamonds into her hands and smiled at them. She took the bloodstained diamonds and arranged them in a pattern around her. Smiling at the crimson diamonds, she took her daggers and very slowly cut a deep path from each shoulder to her palms. Her face twitched slightly as the daggers dug through her skin, but her face remained only passively interested in what was going on to it. As her blood began running down her arms and on to her fists and the daggers she held in each, she picked them up and drove them into the ground, exactly as she had when she had destroyed Aika. She looked around, and watched the severed hair sway slightly in the wind. "...Poor Aika...dying to help me cast my spell." She looked down at her hands, and the blood running to them and closed her eyes.

"...I summon thee."

The design she had spent hours on dully glowed a red shade. The blood on her body tingled and began dripping to the dagger's blades, which began to fade to a black color while green sparks appeared from them, shaking from the energy. "As promised, I summon thee."

**Not now.**

She winced, and the design on the ground began flashing wildly, going through a wide range of colors. "But everything is-already prepared for your arrival now! It will be much harder to achieve later!"

**...Very well.**

She closed her eyes, and smiled slightly. Already, she felt slightly faint from all the blood flowing down her arms. Her smile faltered slightly as the spell began to manifest itself, spinning into a black ball above her. "...Thank...you..."


	25. Summoning Spells

Mmmm, because I fell behind on the last chapter, mainly due to me having to both work and not being able to get onto the computer, I am forcing myself to start work on the next chapter already. I'm annoyed with the new system, though, because it's making me change little weird things...it doesn't allow asterisks, carrots, or...the wavy line things.

-hums along to a song-

Well, if anyone knows where I can find a really good Sirius/Remus fic, tell me...I'm in love with that couple, and I need to read all I can of it. I may try to write one when I finish with this ficcie. I mean...I'm close. I'm thinking it will go to a max of 28 chapters. Now that I said that, it'll probably continue to 30 something. Keh.

NAHAha....finished this chapter on 6/24. Take THAT, writing...issue-y things! :whee:

* * *

Akira was still standing by the window the next morning when Inuyasha came into the room. She was idly holding onto the sill at the first look, but upon a second examination it was obvious that she was tightly attached to it. "Oi, onna," he growled at her. "What are you staring at?" 

"...Look outside."

Inuyasha blinked at her. Her voice was light and airy, the same voice he has used to hearing from Kagome when she was utterly exhausted and about to fall asleep. He walked over to the window and looked out. He didn't see anything and sighed. _What's with these priestesses? First one goes insane and kills another, now this one is going insane..._

It wasn't really a nice day out this day. It was really overcast, with enough clouds to make it seem like it was already evening. But Akira wasn't talking about the weather, and she didn't care about it. She looked back over at Inuyasha, whose ears were slowly moving to lie flat on his head.

"You feel it too, then." He nodded, slightly baring his fangs on pure instinct. Akira closed her eyes, looking blindly at the same place he was glaring at. "That's Ang."

"No it's not."

"Well...perhaps. But it was." Inuyasha glanced sharply at her, ready to demand what she was implying by using the past tense. "Her power is laced all throughout whatever that spell is. But her side of the spell is getting weaker...whoever is helping her cast it is getting stronger. Whoever it is probably-"

"It's not a who, it's a what. It's either a demon or some other thing that shouldn't be anywhere near here. She's siding against us with youkai now?"

Akira shook her head, opening her eyes again. "Ang wouldn't. She has no faith in youkai, owes them nothing, and is much safer here. She even said that to you, didn't she? She's not stupid enough to risk anything."

"Then what the hell is she doing?"

"...None of her stuff is here."

Inuyasha stared at her, turned and leaned into the room she had been staying in. A blanket remained perfectly folded on the ground, and some clothes were dotted around the room. He looked back at Akira. "Why would she take them?"

"Her daggers, her pouch, her magical artifacts...nothing. Whatever she's doing, she might be leaving, Inuyasha."

That thought stopped Inuyasha from reaching over and strangling her, and paused his moment for several seconds. He was greatly tempted to just let her leave, if that was what the crazed priestess was doing. He finally shook his head. "She'd tell...someone. She'd mention it by accident or something."

"I don't know about that. She's been...even odder than normal for her. She might just leave. And besides, she hasn't been back here. When would she have told anyone? She might just leave."

Inuyasha sighed slightly. "The fact that she's out there, casting some spell that you don't know with something that we don't know is slightly...unnerving. We-"

"Oh, no, I know what the spell is." He looked at her in surprise before snarling slightly. "Well, then, why didn't you just say that? Then you know a counter-spell to it, right?"

"Oh, technically I know the counter-spell. That doesn't mean I can even cast it, though. I don't think I can counter the combination of power she's using. It's too strong for me. But it's spiraling out of her control anyway, so even if I counter it, it will have...unforeseen effects. The spell will probably manifest. I don't know what that'll do."

"But it'll be weaker."

"Maybe."

He growled at her. "Fine. We'll wait for her to finish casting this stupid spell of yours. If she kills us all, we can place the blame directly on you. What _is_ the damn thing?"

"She's summoning."

"...Okay..." Inuyasha paused, waiting for her to continue. "Well...what exactly is she summoning?"

"..." Akira opened her mouth and then closed it, and sighed to herself. She turned away from the window, and looked at him with an unnerving look. "Inuyasha...it's obvious, isn't it? You can tell."

He slowly nodded. "...Yeah."

* * *

Angela's arms shook. Her muscles were going though spasms from being held so tightly for so many hours on end without a break. She winced once, gritting her teeth as she wordlessly watched more power trickle from her arms. Her head was swimming from blood loss. She had long ago lost enough to cause her to go unconscious, but the casting wouldn't allow the caster to be unconscious for the completion of the spell. "...How...much...?" 

**You've given almost enough. An hour more, perhaps.**

"An hour?"

**YES.** She looked down to the pattern around her. The winds had blown parts of it away, but now that the spell was nearing its completion, the power was breaking it apart and disorienting her even more. Ang winced again as more blood began to flow from her arms again. She acknowledged that if her blood continued to be lost at this level for an hour, she'd die as soon as the spell was done. She looked at the blood crystals on the ground. They were pure again. All the blood had seeped out and helped the summoning.

"I may not be able to do that."

**I know. I've sped it up. Perhaps fifteen minutes now.**

_Fifteen minutes...can my body withstand that?_ Her muscles twitched again, and she winced. Her hands were shaking so hard that they had long ago gone too numb to stop. They moved on their own free will now. _...Too dizzy...too much blood..._ She closed her eyes, realizing that she was afraid to watch the summoning anymore. Her already pale body was getting near white, and her vision was swimming.

She closed her mind from the spell. She still felt horribly dizzy, but now she couldn't feel blood being sucked directly from her body and going towards the spell, and hurting her. She was still casting, still bleeding. Her wounds weren't going to close. She realized with a sense of calmness that she was going to keep bleeding until either someone healed her, or until her veins had run dry. She'd been summoning for nearly eight hours now, and both her mind and her body were prepared to collapse and get some much-needed rest. _...Fifteen..._

She stopped thinking. It was taking too much energy.

* * *

Kagome woke up in a cold sweat, gasping and sitting up. She was afraid for some reason, but couldn't figure out why. She thought for a moment that she must have had a bad dream, but then realized that she didn't feel like she had even had a dream. She could sense something weird in the air. Something that really shouldn't be anywhere near her or anyone else. But she had no idea what it is. 

Whatever it was, she was afraid of it.

She got up and walked out of the hut, shaking slightly. She walked over to the stream that was still running through the town. Surprisingly, no one had blown it up yet. She knelt and next to it and splashed some water on her face, trying to calm down a little. _What the hell is going on? I want everything to go back to normal..._

She paused on that thought for a moment and then grimly added, _Well, what's normal around here, at least._ She missed the days when she could come back to the feudal era and have fun, bringing some new invention or food and seeing how they liked it. That brought a smile to her mouth, as she remembered the time she had brought hot dogs back. She didn't tell them the name of the food until they were already halfway done...Inuyasha had nearly had a nervous breakdown, believing they were really dogs. Kagome still laughed about that whenever someone mentioned it.

She sighed again, and stood up, wiping water off of her face. _I guess I ought to go back to the hut...Ang will be back by now, and everyone will want food. Kaede will need some help making it, and...well, someone needs to make sure Inuyasha doesn't kill Ang. Without at least a warning._

There was a coughing noise from off to her left. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, before opening them slowly. She expected some villager to be waiting to ask her for another miracle that she couldn't perform. "I told you, I'm not Kikyo, and I can't do any miracles for you."

"I know that, Kagome."

She blinked and turned around, highly confused and not recognizing Inuyasha's voice at first. He looked slightly confused as well, obviously wondering why she had bothered to remind him about Kikyo at such an odd time. Akira was watching her from behind him, with a rather grim expression on her face. "...Akira...Inuyasha...what are you guys doing?"

Akira looked at Inuyasha with a mix of bitterness, fury, and sorrow, before looking away towards the forest. Inuyasha pretended to ignore the look and cleared his throat. "Ang...well, she never came home last night. You know that. Well, she's not here now, and Akira...Kagome, you can feel that aura, right?"

"The aura..." She frowned and nodded. That was is. The aura was what she was afraid of. _That's it...I'm...afraid of that aura. There's another aura building up behind it, too. Whatever the second one is, it's using the bigger aura to hide it. It's strong...and probably dangerous._ "Yeah."

"That's Ang. She's summoning something."

"Why?"

"We don't know."

Kagome stared at him in surprise before looked over at Akira for a hint. The way he had said that they didn't know had made it somehow seem that it was all Akira's fault. Like Akira was hiding knowledge from them or something. She opened her mouth to question him, but her words were instantly drowned out by a clap of thunder. It began raining almost instantly. Akira sighed.

"...Come on. Let's go inside." She turned and began walking back to the hut, her clothes already practically soaked.

Inuyasha grabbed onto her arm, and puller her back towards him. "No." Akira's face remaining totally passive, although Kagome noticed a muscle in her arm twitch. "We're going to go right now. Kagome, you're coming with us." He looked at her, not releasing Akira's arm. "You're at least part priestess, and damn it if that won't help. You're coming with us. I'm going to make that crazy girl _leave_. This has gone on for far too long."

He turned and started walking, roughly dragging Akira with him. Her facial expression still didn't change, but Kagome could see her arm still twitching slightly, and Inuyasha's grip dangerous tight around her arm. Kagome lowered her head and followed silently.

_...Everyone is so wrong..._


End file.
